The last few days have had me dreaming of apple picking, cozy socks and warm soup. I have changed my window opening habits, reminding myself to close at night and open during the day. Getting the warm fresh air inside over the day and keeping a comfortable temperature for padding around in the mornings. During Physical Therapy sessions I’ve been discussing shifting outdoor exercise routines to mid-day to catch the warm sun and maintain a routine as the days get shorter. 

This year the shortening of the days and the cooling of the weather could come with some extra stress. I have enjoyed safely socializing with friends and family outdoors and am anticipating the cold weather may make outdoor gatherings and activities more challenging. Enjoying the freedom of the outdoors this summer was a contrast from the spring of mostly being indoors except for occasional exercise. As we transition towards Autumn here are some ideas to safely keep active and connected: 

• Get Scandinavian and gather outdoors by a fire! Make a fire pit in your yard or buy an outdoor heater and set up an outdoor socializing area now that you can enjoy through the upcoming season. When I lived in Denmark people would eat outdoors all times of year with the aid of umbrellas, blankets, warm clothes and outdoor heaters.  

• Jump right back into your indoor exercise routine! Sign up for an online yoga date with friends and video chat over coffee after class. I love the post yoga conversations with friends, but it is not as easy to jump into a conversation after an online yoga class. Plan ahead and ask a friend to chat after class and recreate the experience of going out for coffee or tea after class. The shared experience of the class will give your conversation some context and facilitate a feeling of connection.  

• Start to think about pre-season training for outdoor winter sports such as skiing and snowshoeing. If you haven’t tried a winter sport before, find a friend who has experience and can teach you, or encourage your friends and family to try something new together this year. If you a healing a injury from summer or last ski season, this is the perfect time to reach out to a physical therapist to prepare for the coming winter. Plan ahead to get outdoors and socialize this winter.   

• Celebrate home! Fall is a great time to be creative and problem solve. You could get your household together to make new art for the walls, get back to abandoned bread making and sewing projects, organize a in-home gym or set up a home yoga studio. Use the extra time at home to find creative solutions to make your space work better for your current needs.  

Enjoy this moment and the time we have, and set yourself up for a happy, healthy rest of the year to come. We are in this together, just reach out and connect with your people, no matter what that looks like this year.