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.

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.

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)

In the fall, the Southeast is in for rain, rain and more rain. Hitting the gym is an obvious way to escape the wet weather, but instead of falling into a treadmill rut and boring yourself half to death, Sweets recommends a pyramid workout that allows you to break up the monotony by using it on various cardio machines

"Hop on your favorite cardio machine, then increase the level of resistance by one or two levels every two minutes until you can no longer handle the resistance," says Sweets. "Then, work your way back down the pyramid. You will burn calories more effectively by changing up the intensity." You can apply this to any machine of your choice: bike, treadmill and the elliptical to keep you motivated. Make mini goals by upping the intensity as your body adapts.

In the Southwest, the cooler weather usually doesn't set in until October, which gives you plenty of time to continue soaking up the great outdoors as summer fades into fall. Instead of driving to the gym, try adding cycling into your exercise regimen. It's a great low-impact option that tones your lower body and also torches calories at the same time.

When you're short on time, turn your ride into an interval workout instead of racking up your mileage. Sweets recommends biking for five minutes to warm up, then start adding short bursts of intense sprints followed by two minutes of recovery; i.e., 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 60 seconds, 75 seconds, 90 seconds; then work your way back down the ladder.