‘AUTUMN ADVANTAGE’
Experts say there’s no time like September to get your body (and life) back in shape
After a summer spent trying (and failing) to get fit, it wasn’t until my children went back to school that I finally dusted off my running shoes, made it the gym and started eating more healthily than I’d managed all summer. Which makes sense as autumn is, according to a new study, the time of year where we feel reinvigorated: researchers at the University of Toronto found that people over the age of 70 become significantly more clever at the start of the season, with their cognitive function peaking on Sept. 23. The difference between participants’ brains in spring, compared to autumn, was the equivalent to four years of aging.
While the scientists couldn’t determine the reason for this “autumn advantage,” Rosa Sancho from Alzheimer’s Research U.K. said of the findings: “The changing seasons can affect our lifestyle and health in a variety of ways.”
“September is like Jan. 1, but in fact it’s an even better time to get fit and healthy,” says personal trainer Matt Roberts, who has worked with former British prime minister David Cameron and fashion designer Tom Ford. “The evenings are lighter, the air is cool but not too cold, and after a particularly hot summer that left us feeling jaded, many of us now feel brighter because that back-to-school feeling extends to adults, too.”
So with that in mind, here’s how to make the most of the autumn advantage ...
IT’S THE BEST TIME TO GET FIT
“While most of us decide to begin a new fitness regimen in January when gym memberships peak, September is actually a far better time,” says Roberts, adding that, just as we have a tendency to overindulge during Christmas, summer can be just as bad for eating and drinking too much. “But unlike January, by autumn you’ve had a good dose of vitamin D from the summer months and your holiday, which helps with energy levels. And while January runs can be freezing and summer ones intensely hot (especially this summer), autumn is the perfect time to get outside and exercise.”
It’s also the perfect time for forest bathing, a well-being craze from Japan that involves “soaking up” the atmosphere of forests and wooded areas. In the ’80s, the Japanese government studied the health benefits, which include reduced blood pressure, lower stress levels and improved concentration and memory.
“You have more time in autumn too, especially if you have children and they’re back at school after a long summer break,” says Roberts. “Everybody is back at work and in a routine, which is helpful for sticking to an exercise regimen.”
One new study, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, found that it takes 66 days for a new habit to become second nature.
There are a number of benefits to exercising in chillier climes. “While a lot of us are reluctant winter exercisers, studies show you burn more calories when you exercise outside on a cold day, because the cold conditions raise metabolism,” Roberts explains. A recent study from the University of Colorado found our production of ATPL (a chemical that promotes fat storage) almost doubles during winter, but exercise offsets this.
IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE AUTUMN FOOD
If you’re already missing the barbecue and salads, make the most of what the season has to offer, says nutritional therapist Amelia Freer: “Although summer is nearly over, the sudden abundance of delicious and healthy autumnal food is more than enough compensation.” She recommends the likes of artichokes, beetroot, squashes, pumpkin, courgettes and kale to get you into an autumnal state of eating.
“I’m addicted to my slow cooker at this time of year and have batches of soup, stews and casseroles on the go,” Freer says. “You can then freeze them so you always have a quick and healthy meal ready for nights you don’t have time to cook.”
She advises doing away with starchy carbohydrates like rice, and in their place using dark green, leafy and seasonal vegetables like kale and pumpkin. “I also take traditional comfort foods like shepherd’s pie and make them healthier by swapping the mashed white potato topping for a mashed celeriac or carrot one instead.”
Freer also suggests cutting back on sugar in autumn to avoid swinging high and low blood sugar levels, which can increase lethargy. Instead she urges people to enjoy seasonal sweet stuff like blackberries, apples, pears, plums and figs.
And if you bake or stew them with autumnal spices you’ll get a double health boost: researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in the U.S. found smelling cinnamon is linked to improved attention and memory.
RESET YOUR MINDSET
According to Freer, autumn is also a great time for adults to “put that ‘back-to-school’ feeling to your advantage.”
September can be a “life-defining month,” says Cary Cooper, a professor of psychology and health at Manchester Business School.
“What I’m hearing through my work, and also as a father of adult children who have young families of their own, is that September, rather than January, is the month we take stock of our lives.”
Autumn can also be a time to sign up for new courses or look into a career change, says Cooper.
“It’s the month to hit reset on everything from your stress to your diet, fitness, career and relationships. It’s the natural pause in the year that we all need, to take stock of where we’re heading.”