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86 maconmagazine.com | October/November 2024 G e t F i t fo r F a l l : A C h a l l e n g e As the weather gets colder and the holidays approach, work on your fitness goals now Shawn McClendon is an ACE-certified personal trainer and owner of Back to Basics Health and Wholeness LLC, an organization dedicated to empowering people to take control of their health and avoid lifestyle disease. He runs a YouTube health and fitness podcast, writes on health and fitness topics at shawnmcclendon.com, speaks on health and fitness, and has authored several health/fitness books. F I T N E S S C O R N E R W ith Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year – YES, the NEW YEAR – right around the corner, two things are certain: It's time to start bundling up, and it's time to start getting ready for some holiday food. If you're like me, these things excite you. I personally am a big fan of fall weather. It's my favorite season, as it signals relief from a hot, mostly unforgiving Georgia summer. And, of course, I'm very excited about food! Thoughts of sharing fried turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, greens, sweet potato pie, and various other traditional foods with family and friends fill me with anticipation this time of year. By merely writing this, I've nearly already fixed my plates in my mind. Focus, Shawn, focus. Anyhow, with cooler weather and holiday food often comes another phenomenon: A decrease in health and fitness. For many of us, the cold leads us to drastically lessen how frequently we exercise, and even how much we move in general. Getting up to a colder, darker day has an almost indiscernible effect on our mental states, and if we're not careful, we've totally fallen off any fitness routine we started during the warmer months. Indulging in the many rich foods that comprise holiday feasts often serves as a "slippery slope." We usually eat more in portions – way more. Plus, we eat more sweets than usual – gotta try all five cakes on the table, right? And then there are leftovers to deal with. Before we know it, we've released "the kraken" – that is, we've unlocked strong cravings for unhealthy food that we have trouble overcoming. How about a fitness challenge? This is a non-typical time of year to do a fitness challenge, which, in my opinion, means that it is probably one of the most potentially impactful times of year to take it on. Instead of turning it down, rev it up. Intentionally set your mind this season to continue to prioritize your health and fitness. Doing so during these shorter, grayer and colder fall/winter days will also serve as a way to preserve and improve mental health and well-being in a time when many people experience a decrease in mental health. Here is a summary of the challenge: 1. Set at least one specific goal 2. Set your mind for consistency 3. Put guidelines in place to ensure you stay with it BY SHAWN MCCLENDON | PHOTO BY MATT ODOM"