By Hayden Bouza
The autumn season is already in full swing, with changing, colorful leaves and crisp air surrounding you from every outdoor angle. In an environment as wonderful as this, why would you want to enter into the dreary atmosphere that is Skidmore’s Williamson Sports Center, or any gym for that matter, when you could be getting active with the beauty and weather of the season as a backdrop. Besides, what better motivation than the ticking time bomb of winter at fall’s doorstep when the only active time spent outside is racing from one warm location to the next. In this article, I will detail a few ways someone with varying skill and experience levels can get the most out of this season and feel good doing it.
1. Outdoor Running
I’m not sure about you all, but I personally am not a fan of intense cardio, especially running. All the sweating, the intense gasping for air, feeling like I’m about to collapse at any moment–I’ve never understood the appeal. On my way to the gym the other day, however, I became consumed by an overwhelming desire to run through the streets of Saratoga Springs while blasting my fall playlist–so I did. I somehow made it an entire three miles without stopping or calling an ambulance due to my lungs collapsing. My motivation? My muse? My (metaphorical) ventilator? Autumn. My awe was so utterly encapsulated by the wonders of the season–seeing all the different trees, people walking through town, fall decorations, smelling cinnamon, and crisp air–that I could entirely forget about the otherwise all-consuming pains of running. In all seriousness, I am never one to voluntarily commit to running, especially outdoors, where I need to return to my destination, yet running during this beautiful fall morning was exactly what my body and I needed to feel refreshed, de-stressed, and accomplished. There is no better season to attempt a new career in outdoor running (or a short stint, in my case), than the fall.
2. Outdoor Walk
Like I previously said, I am not a fan of intense cardio, and I still haven’t entirely dismissed the possibility that the autumnal activity spirits possessed me that day I decided to run. If you, too, find yourself running on two very separate spheres of existence that cannot be bridged, even by the glories of autumn, do not fear–walking is a great way to experience the outdoor joys and beauties of the season without risking hospitalization or experiencing a soul transplant. Grab a water (or, if you’re like me, a seasonal beverage because who needs water when Starbucks’ brown sugar shaken espresso exists), some headphones, and stroll about your local town while listening to some autumnal melodies and imagining you’re an extra in Gilmore Girls. That’s right, even fitness isn’t safe from seasonal romanticization.
3. Hiking
Ok, so running isn’t for you, and you get too bored walking–what now? How could you possibly partake in the autumnal athletics? Well, my friend, luckily a medium between the two exists: hiking. Honestly, is there any better time to go on a hike than the months when leaves are in peak foliage and the weather is just cool enough to fight off a sweat? Not only that, there are so many different variations and levels of hiking that there is something for all experience levels: from steep trails with mountainous peaks and long distances with differing difficulties to short paths cloaked by a canopy of autumn leaves, hiking has something for everyone to get moving and enjoy the picturesque natural beauties of the season. Plus, there is no better reward than enjoying an apple…cider donut (you earned it) while overlooking a blanket of green, red, yellow, and orange leaves at the opening of a peak.
4. Outdoor Sports/Seasonal Athletics
Again, we find ourselves at an activity that your own author formerly found herself staying away from with a twelve-foot pole in between (and for good reason, hand-eye coordination and I are not exactly friends). However, after much heckling and harassment from my friends, I was somehow persuaded to join intramural volleyball–a sport I have never once played besides jokingly and for very short amounts of time at the beach before benching myself after hitting the ball out almost every time it came in my direction. Nonetheless, I now find myself practicing volleyball with those same friends at the sand court outside the Tang at least three times a week. While we have lost every official game I have been in attendance for (whoops), enjoying a new sport and playing outside with my friends in the crisp fall air has been a great way to decompress and get active throughout the week. Whether it’s joining a new intramural or club sports team or just playing some games with a group of friends outside, this season is the perfect time to challenge yourself to practice some athletic skills while enjoying the outdoors before it gets too cold.
Whether breaking a refreshing sweat on a run, taking a leisurely walk, hiking through colorful trails, or trying out an outdoor sport, fall offers so many ways to stay active while soaking in autumn’s all-too-fleeting beauty. So, before winter’s chill drives us indoors, take advantage of the cool air and vibrant scenery, and let the season motivate you to get moving, breathe in the air, and feel your best.