Key Takeaways

• Everyday activities like carrying pumpkins, raking leaves, and navigating corn mazes significantly increase your Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), resulting in higher calorie expenditure and improved functional strength without requiring a formal gym session.
• Engaging in these fun, moderate-intensity seasonal movements helps stabilize blood sugar levels, lowers stress, and ultimately leads to improved metabolic health. 
• A CGM can provide real-time feedback, allowing you to see which specific fall activities yield the best metabolic stability, so that you can tailor your seasonal fitness routine accordingly.

 {{mid-cta}}

Fall can be one of the best seasons in most areas, offering cooler weather, changing leaves, and endless opportunities for fall fitness and outdoor activities. However, when it comes to your workout routine, you don't have to choose between enjoying the crisp autumn air and sticking to your structured fitness plan. In fact, your apple-picking haul might be one of the best strength workouts you didn’t program. This season is rich in sacred traditions, such as raking piles of leaves, apple picking, carving pumpkins, and navigating spooky corn mazes over Halloween. These fall activities are a fun way to boost well-being and stay active while spending time with friends and family. 

‍

Luckily, it turns out these quintessential autumnal activities are equally fantastic, fun, and effective opportunities for exercise. This article will show you how to combine the season's classic chores and celebrations into your fitness routine, revealing the muscle-building and cardio benefits hidden within every activity. Get ready to take your favorite fall pastimes and pumpkin spice up your exercise into full-body, exhilarating workouts that leaf you feeling jacked-o-lantern. 

The Science of Seasonal Movement

Seasonal outdoor workouts (like yardwork, trail running, or even outdoor yoga) provide a powerful boost to physical health and mental health while enhancing your metabolism by increasing Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). NEAT is the energy expended for everything that is not sleeping, eating, or dedicated exercise. Increasing NEAT is a critical driver of overall energy expenditure and plays a role in glucose stability and insulin sensitivity through continuous muscle contractions. 

‍

Raking the leaves or cleaning out the gutters now turns your dreaded house chore into the workout you thought you didn’t have time to do. Bonus: engaging in movement outdoors during the daytime also maximizes the circadian benefits of the fall season, helping to regulate sleep-wake cycles and dopamine levels, which in turn optimize the hormonal balance necessary for healthy metabolism and appetite control.¹ How NEAT! 

‍

Fall Traditions That Double as Workouts

Now that we understand the metabolic benefits of seasonal movement, it's time to explore its practical application. Each beloved fall tradition, from hauling pumpkins to navigating muddy fields, can be viewed as a cleverly disguised training session. We’ll show you exactly how these activities target specific muscle groups and provide functional strength that complements your regular fitness routine.

‍

• Apple Picking & Pumpkin Hauling: These traditional fall activities make for low-impact, full-body fitness activities that combine strength training with real-world movement. Your entire body will feel the workout, especially if you can carry your heavy pumpkins and bushels of apples without using a cart. 
• Corn Mazes & Haunted Houses: Navigating a corn maze or haunted trail is not only festive; it’s a surprisingly effective cardiovascular and cardio workout. Your heart rate may increase for other reasons during these activities, but watch your step count skyrocket. 
• Fall Hiking: Fall hiking among fall foliage and cooler temperatures is a great time to boost your fitness journey and immune function. You’ll experience a great cardiovascular workout, strengthen your legs, and obtain metabolic benefits from a workout in cold weather. 
• Yard Games: Even casual physical activity at your local park, like throwing a frisbee or playing flag football, supports your well-being through regular exercise. Join a community league or organize a pickup game with your friends and family before that big Thanksgiving dinner. 

The Metabolic Benefits of Fun Fall Fitness

Working on your metabolic health and overall wellness can be fun and sustainable during this time of year, especially when you combine outdoor workouts and natural movement.

‍

Here are a few specific metabolic benefits of fall-time activities: 

‍

• Increased Calorie Expenditure: Chores like raking, stacking wood, or carrying heavy pumpkins can significantly elevate your daily Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), resulting in a higher total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) compared to sedentary indoor time.
• Stable Blood Sugar: Fall activities often involve steady, low, or moderate-intensity movement, which encourages constant muscle engagement and, therefore, a steady increase in glucose uptake. Over time, muscles become more efficient in removing glucose from the blood throughout the day, contributing to a more stable blood sugar level.²
• Lower Stress and Improved Sleep: Exposure to natural daylight during outdoor activities helps regulate the body's circadian rhythm, so you sleep better at night. This process is crucial for reducing cortisol, the stress hormone that contributes to poor blood sugar control.^3,4

The Metabolic Playbook: How to Turn Traditions into Training

Integrating your favorite fall traditions into your fitness routine doesn't require extra time; rather, it requires a shift in mindset. Here are four easy strategies to sneak strength and cardio into your autumn schedule:

‍

• Pumpkin Carries = Loaded Carries: When you’re pumpkin picking, turn it into an opportunity for lifting weights: you’ll engage your core and arms like a pro guided by a personal trainer. Hold the pumpkin in front of your chest for a core and upper-body challenge, or carry two smaller ones at your sides (one in each hand) to mimic the farmer's carry, which builds full-body and grip strength.
• Add Step Challenges During Corn Mazes: A corn maze is more than just a puzzle; it's an opportunity to boost your step count while having fun. You can even challenge your cardiovascular endurance by jogging between rows, making it a creative alternative to the treadmill.⁵  
• Mix Cardio and Strength on a Fall Hike: Exploring the outdoors by hiking on a trail provides a perfect combination of cardiovascular exercise and lower-leg strength training. The steeper the trail, the more your quads will burn. This type of physical activity supports both your immune system and mental health, all while enjoying the changing leaves.
• Sprinkle in Bodyweight Moves for Extra Strength: Use the environment before or after an activity for quick strengthening sets. Before you carve your pumpkin, do three sets of squats holding the gourd. After raking leaves, use a sturdy outdoor bench for triceps dips or incline push-ups. These short workouts further fatigue your muscles without a separate gym session.

Using Signos to Track Seasonal Movement

To truly optimize your autumn activity for metabolic health, consider using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).  With real-time feedback on glucose levels, you can observe precisely how different efforts during each fall activity impact your blood sugar. You can compare the calorie burn and recovery patterns from raking leaves versus a 30-minute treadmill jog or outdoor yoga session in New York or wherever your fall adventures take you.

‍

Then, Signos will suggest how you can support your activity with the right nutrition plan to achieve optimal metabolic stability and glucose control. Personalize your seasonal fitness plan with your favorite fall traditions, and let Signos reassure you that you’re still taking the most effective steps toward a healthier you.

The Bottom Line

Don’t just view fall fitness traditions as chores; embrace them as part of your fitness journey and seasonal well-being strategy. By treating activities like carrying pumpkins or raking leaves as opportunities for exercise, you actively keep your body moving and build metabolic strength while having fun with family and friends. Remember to use the Signos app so you can empirically prove that these seasonal moments are truly fueling your health, stabilizing your glucose, and helping support your healthiest life.

Learn More About Signos’ Expert Advice

If you have more questions on improving your health, fitness, and nutrition, seek the expert advice of the Signos continuous glucose monitor and the Signos team. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can give you the insights to make smarter nutrition and exercise choices. The Signos app offers a personalized program designed to help you achieve your health goals.