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Find Your Perfect Fall Workout

Get fit in the new season wherever you are on the map
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Sadly, all the summertime lounging and vacationing is just about over, but think of it this way: Fall is the perfect time to turn your focus back to your exercise regimen before the hectic holiday season sets in. And while the idea of harvests and new boots is romantic and all, the stereotypical description of fall -- orange, red and yellow leaves falling from the trees, a cool breeze that slowly prepares you for hardcore jacket mode -- isn't usually so picture perfect all over the country.

Case in point: On the West Coast, everything after Labor Day is just extended summer (as is the rest of the year), while Midwesterners are already bundling up before full-blown blizzards. So when it comes to keeping fit, running sprints outside may be a great option for a Cali girl, but could mean dodging flash floods for someone living in the Southeast's rainy season. Your fall workout routine isn't going to come in "one size fits all."

To help you tailor your workouts to your local weather, we enlisted the help of certified fitness instructor and NYC personal trainer Deborah Sweets, who offered up some fun options to help you switch up your routine wherever you are. Whether it still feels like tank top weather, or it's already time to start stocking up on firewood, click ahead to find the perfect fall workout for your region.

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West Coast
The temperate climate on the West Coast often means the transition into fall is almost unnoticeable -- fall becomes an extended summer, without the flocks of tourists and huge crowds. Instead of hitting the beach to work on your tan, keep up your visits to work on your physique. "The beach is a great way to train for increased balance," says Sweets. "The instability of the sand provides an opportunity to perform lots of standing balance work."

Try:
• Standing rear leg extension: Lift your right leg up and back, and balance. Then, either tap your right foot down and lift back up for stability, or float your leg forward and back for a super-challenging, glute and thigh-burning experience. Repeat on the other side.

• Standing side leg extension: Balance on your left leg while you lift your right knee up until your thigh creates a 90-degree angle. Next, slowly straighten your leg until it forms a straight line, and engage opposing abdominal area for increased balance. Hold, bend at the knee, then return to start and repeat on both sides.

• Warrior three: Take a large step forward with your right foot, then lower your torso and lift your left leg until your body is parallel with the ground. Use a fixed gaze, pull your lower core in, and hold while focusing on your breath.

Bonus: Finish with an invigorating barefoot run on the beach and jump in the water for your cool-down.

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Northwest
Early fall offers Northwesterners a short grace period before the perpetual rain sets in later in the year. Take advantage of the changing trees and scenic park views with targeted exercises that only require your average park bench.

Take a quick stroll to warm up. Sweets recommends the following.

• Plyo jumps to bench
• Step-ups with balance: Face the bench and firmly plant your right foot on the seat. Step up to stand fully, hover your opposite leg, then step back down. Alternate sides.
• Toe taps to edge of bench: Keep one foot on the bench with your same knee deeply bent, one foot tapping on and off the bench.
• Angled/assisted push ups
• Triceps dips
• Assisted plank (hands on bench)
• Higher intensity plank (toes on bench)
• Assisted side plank (one hand on bench)
• Higher intensity side plank (feet on bench, hand on ground)

Once the rain showers begin, use this workout on your living room sofa.

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Midwest
With temperatures cooling, it's the perfect time to incorporate hiking into your exercise regimen. Hiking can burn up to 370 calories per hour and works almost every part of your body from your legs, hips, and butt to your abdominals and shoulders. The best part? You'll hardly notice you're exercising, thanks to the breathtaking scenery, which is far more interesting and stimulating than staring at a screen while running in place on a treadmill. Enlist a partner in crime so you feel obligated to stick with it, and use this time to unwind before the stressful holiday season settles in.

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Northeast
The air is dry and in the Northeast, fall is what winter is to other regions (*ahem*, West Coast). This season, take the time to perfect your form and work on an equipment-light exercise routine that you can do indoors at home, so you don't have venture outside once the weather starts to get frightful.

Find a comfortable area at home, or grab a sliver of space in your hotel room and try Sweets's circuit workout.

Express Body Weight Circuit:
• 30-second jumping jacks
• 30-second high knee jogs with shoulder rolls
• 60-second standing plié squat pulse
• Spider-Man push-ups (12-16 reps)
• 45-second burpees, 15-second active recovery
• 30-second curtsy lunge, then 30 seconds on other side
• Triceps dips (use edge of chair, bench, or desk) - 20 reps. Increase difficulty by alternating a leg lift with each lift
• 45-second star jumps, 15-second active recovery
• 60-second plank hold (increase difficulty by adding alternating leg lifts with a glute squeeze)
• 60-second bridge hold - (for added difficulty hold 30 seconds with one leg extended to ceiling, then switch sides)
• Butterfly crunches (knees open, toes down, heels lifted - activating glutes and working deep into the core)


OCT 29, 2014 | SHARES
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