Fall fitness does not just need to be in the gym! Being located here on the North Shore of Massachusetts, there are plentiful fun fall fitness activities that will get you out of the gym and into the outdoors for some exciting ways to stay active, especially here in Wilmington!
There are a number of things that we can do this time of season, but here are a few of my top activities whether you are a fitness beginner or avid gym goer!
Hiking for Fall Fitness
Hiking is my favorite fall activity here in Massachusetts, especially in the woods! Find a nice trail at a local park! Harold Parker Forrest is a great option here in the Wilmington and Andover Massachusetts area. The Park offers many trails ranging from beginner to intermediate to advanced, and provides a great morning or afternoon activity to get the heart rate up and lower the stress levels. Not to mention the foliage in New England this time of year is fantastic!
Biking for Fall Fitness
If you are looking for something a little more fast paced and exciting, try hitting the trails with a bike! This provides for a little extra challenge for a wide range of athletes, with the same benefit of getting outdoors and enjoying the scenery. The beginner to advanced trails will offer different challenges depending on your comfort and ability level, but regardless of which option you choose, it will provide a fun filled day activity for the whole family.
Not into hitting the trails? Take a bike ride through town! Wilmington and Andover provide great local scenery and history that can be dropped into a fun day of bike riding! Whether you hit downtown Andover, MA or ride through the quiet woodsy neighborhoods of Wilmington, it will be sure to please and provide a relaxing morning or afternoon while still being active.
Fall Apple Picking for Fitness
Apple picking is a fun family activity outdoors that will also get you many steps in on your fitness tracker! Tough week at the gym? Try going apple picking to get the body moving and feeling better. Boston Hill Farms is a great location right in North Andover, MA that is a short trip and fun filled day for the while family.
When the Leaves Fall, Rake for Fitness
Ahh everybody’s favorite fall activity! Here in New England, the leaves are so pretty to look at for a couple of weeks until we need to pull out the rakes and clean up the yard! This year, if you normally use a leaf blower, ditch it for a couple of rakes and get the whole family involved! Get some music playing in the yard, rake up some leaves, let the kids (or even yourself!) jump in the leaves for a little while and then load them up into bags. Not only are you getting good movement through raking itself, but picking up the leaves provides for good range of motion movement in our deadlifts! Not to mention the playing will get you moving too! Don’t forget your proper mechanics for your deadlift and everybody has a fun, safe, and rewarding day!
Touch Football
For our more competitive fitness people out there, flag football is one of my favorites. Get a group text together with a few friends, meet at the park, and throw the pig skin around for a couple of hours. Sport is at the top of the pyramid for our fitness, and it is always great to utilize the benefits we get from our training in other sport related activities. The weather is cool, the sun is shining, get outside and play some football rather than just watching it! I promise it will be a blast!
Fall Walk/Runs
Fall is the season for 5k’s especially here in Massachusetts! Whether you are walking or running it does not matter, most 5k’s here in the area are held on weekend mornings, you get your exercise done in under an hour, and typically there are great activities to follow to enjoy with the family!
We recently participated in the Burbank YMCA 5k in Reading, MA this past weekend and it was a blast! There was a band playing at the finish line, along with a whole bunch of local businesses and activities for everyone! Another good one is the Feaster Five in Andover, MA! This is your classic Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day run! Get your running shoes on before the big meal and get your body moving!
Trick or Treating
Lastly, we have trick or treating on Halloween! It may not seem it, but it’s a lot of walking! Get the family dressed up and pick a nice neighborhood route to take on and get those steps in! Try to keep the candy intake to a minimum, but hey nobody ever said don’t enjoy!!
The fitness activity options here in Massachusetts are endless in the fall! The weather is great and getting outside is a must. If you are local to the area like us, here is a link to local activities in the Wilmington/Andover Massachusetts that will get you outside, active, and having a blast!
- Wilmington, MA Fall Activity Calendar
https://patch.com/massachusetts/wilmington/calendar
- Andover, MA Fall Activity Calendar
