Summer weather in Toronto can extend to the beginning of October, and then suddenly, sweater weather. The air is chilly once again and the days are shorter.
Though you may not be thrilled by this development, particularly when it comes to your morning jog, it’s important not to give up on the fitness progress you made all Spring and Summer.
Hitting the gym is great, but why not enjoy some outdoor fall workout activities before it gets cold? If you’re cold-blooded you might not love this idea. But wearing some quality workout clothes and getting your heart rate up will help you push past the pain.
Our HOUSEFIT trainers recommend you enjoy the leaves this time of year and try incorporating one or more of these popular outdoor workouts into your daily fitness routine.
Jogging
Running outdoors vs running on a treadmill has plenty of benefits including developing better muscles, more caloric burn, and a heightened sense of well-being.
It’s important to layer up when running in the fall, and then shed layers as you go if you’re getting too hot.
Here are some gear suggestions for jogging in the fall:
Running pants / tights
Long-sleeve workout shirts rated for cold weather
Waterproof running shoes
Athletic socks
Athletic gloves
Headband or hat
A windbreaker layer for those cold, windy days
If you’re discouraged by the cold weather, we suggest looking for a tree-lined path and mark the progress of the season as you watch the colours change.
Hiking and Trail Running
Hiking is a great, low-impact way to get some outdoor exercise and appreciate nature. The same clothing recommendations mentioned above for jogging apply to trail running. However, make sure you invest in a good pair of trail running shoes.
If you live in North York near our HOUSEFIT locations, you don’t need to venture too far to find some beautiful outdoor trails:
Bestview Hiking Trails: Located at Steeles and Leslie, Bestview is a 3.6-hectare park with a baseball diamond and tennis court, but also part of the Don River trail system.
Betty Sutherland Trail Park: Further south is another part of the Don River trail system near Sheppard and Leslie. This park features beautiful wooded trails. It is also popular with bird watchers!
G Ross Lord Park: Looking to the west side of Yonge, this enormous park at Dufferin and Finch provides 4km of hiking trails, along with various sports fields and playgrounds. It’s even rated as a good spot for fishing!
Biking
For exercise that allows you to appreciate long stretches of the city and its surrounding green area, nothing beats biking. A windbreaker and a good pair of gloves are essential to appreciate a good bike ride without feeling the cold right down to your bones.
All of the parks mentioned above are great for biking, but on a bike, it’s easy to venture towards downtown along the Don River.
Or, if you’re feeling particularly bold, do some long rides along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail east towards Oshawa or west towards Hamilton.
Bootcamp
Nothing busts your buns quite like Bootcamp classes for a total body workout. Many instructors run fitness classes in Toronto’s local parks. The best part: you won’t have to worry about being cold. These classes work you hard. Burning fat and building muscle while still being able to do outdoor activities is a huge plus. Also, working out with others can be incredibly rewarding.
Many of these classes will take advantage of North York’s many outdoor calisthenic parks, which brings us to...
Outdoor Workout Park Circuits
The wonderful thing about bodyweight exercises is that unlike running on a treadmill every day, you can incorporate lots of variety in the exercises you choose. You can make your workouts more interesting.
North York’s public workout parks have free-to-use equipment that allows you to design a robust full-body workout including:
Parallel bars
Monkey bars
Hurdles
Pull up bars
Push up bars
Step benches
Dip handles
If you’re looking for some workout inspiration, be sure to check out our related blog on developing a killer outdoors calisthenics workout plan.
Recreational Sports Leagues
Didn’t take advantage of Toronto’s Summer Rec Leagues? Well, good news - fall is a great time to start making new friends and engage in some friendly competition.
Toronto’s public sports fields are open in the fall. Check out our post on Rec Leagues in North York to look into the various teams around the city.
Personal Training
The time for a summer body is over - but your summer body goals should be year-round goals.
If your workout motivation is starting to dip, fall is the perfect time to look into personal training. A personal trainer will develop a nutrition plan, plus an indoor and outdoor workout plan that will help you meet your fitness goals. They’ll ensure you’re heading into winter feeling healthy and with an abundance of energy.
At HOUSEFIT, We’re proud that our clients continually recommend us to their friends after having experienced the life-changing benefits of our program.
Our boutique North York operation is fully focused on personal training, and all of our staff are experienced trainers who will take your fitness to the next level.
Contact us to book a free 90-minute health and fitness consultation at one of our two convenient locations.