After a sweet summer of sunshine and rosé indulgence, New Yorkers return from Fire Island, the Hamptons, and Europe looking for ways to get back into a routine that burns off those summer love handles. Fall, being the season of transition and transformation, is the perfect time to create change, as natural creative energy is at an all time high. Patients come back from a lazy summer and go hard in the fall with work, play, and getting in shape. We see people go for a 10-mile run after not running all summer, or signing up for a HIIT and barre class 7 days a week after just a l’il swim in the pool here and there. We get it, we too love a good workout, but we believe in longevity. We want you working out ’til you’re 80 if that’s your desire. So don’t kill it, killing your neck and back in the process.

Here are our 10 tips for building workout habits to help you avoid a) tumbling off the wagon, b) overdoing it, and c) crawling into our office in pain:

1. Save your adrenals. You are incredibly motivated, but the go-hard-or-go-home mentality is less than sustainable. If you’ve gone a little summer-soft, going 110% will only burn your adrenals out fast. If you are getting back into running, we suggest adding 10% per week in mileage. If you are getting back to lifting weights, notice when you are holding your breath or losing good form. That is fatigue and it’s time to end that set.

2. Try a new workout. Variety is good for the body and mind. Over the course of a month, consider trying out a new workout or program each week. This is a great way of learning what you like and what you had no idea even existed. Wishing you could move with more ease and live pain free? Sign up for our first Workout Workshop: Swing Baby Swing, at Urban Wellness Clinic, where we’ll break down all the details of the hinge and how to kettlebell swing!

3. Make it social. An accountability buddy does wonders when you want to back out of a workout because you’re tired and unmotivated. Grab a friend for an exercise challenge or work toward a 5k run! Morale soars when you’re in it together.

4. Early to rise. Try this experiment for two weeks: write in your training sessions as early as you can. The sweet wake-up window is 6am-8am and a good workout soon after will raise your metabolic rate and clear your mind for the day ahead.

5. Our team has your back. It never hurts to enlist the help of professionals. Hire a nutritionist and a trainer to hold you accountable to your commitments and goals, and give you useful advice and feedback you won’t get anywhere else.

6. Keep a gratitude journal. Take five minutes to write in it every day. Keep track of what’s important to you in life, remember the good stuff, and even collect your thoughts on how working out makes you feel. Use it as a place you can visit to gain much-needed perspective. This can make all the difference in the world when the fall chaos of back-to-school or back-to-work starts to circulate, and you need a reminder of what actually matters.

7. Escalate. In a good way. Commit to doing some kind of physical activity—one not already expected of you—everyday for the next two weeks. The momentum you create will build your confidence. And knowing you can rely on yourself to come through is a powerful thing.

8. Do what you love. If you follow this simple rule, you’ll find you won’t have any trouble continuing to do it. Simple, but oh-so-very-true. It’s great to push your boundaries, try new things, and leave your comfort zone, but make sure that at the end of the day you’re doing what you love and getting what you need—both in life, and in training!

9. De-stress and recharge. Whether it’s meditation, stretching, restorative or yin yoga, active breathing (exhale twice as long as you inhale!), or anything else that allows you to soothe your amped up nervous system—do it at least once a week.

10. Form over flair. Working on your dead-lift form instead of pounding out 40 bad ones with a rounded back and squatty knees is always a good idea. We love clean-up lifting and yoga alignment, teaching newbies good form, and modifying when an injury is involved. We offer weekly strength classes with Matt Semrick, Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30pm on Class Pass, and Mind Body–limit it to 5 people for a rocking workout and personalized attention.

Giddy-up! Get working out without going crazy this fall! Give us a call if you need help: 212-355-0445 or email us at info@urbanwellnessclinic.com

Best in health xo

Dr Emily Kiberd