Hey, I’m Liza, aka @lizamac32 on Instagram.
I remember the months after the birth of my fifth child, Bronwen. It was coming up to autumn and my husband and our four children were exploring, hiking and foraging whilst Bronwen and I stayed at home. Having five children back-to-back had left me feeling unfit and overweight.
I longed to get out with them and enjoy the being outdoors with all my children. Joining WW was my first step, and after a month or so following the plan, I felt motivated to adopt a fitness routine. I was determined and had my ‘why’ – I wanted to be with my children as they explored the world around them.
“I was fitter than I’d been in the past 10 years”
I got to goal 6 months later and was fitter than I had ever been in the past 10 years. I’d walk three times a week and work out at home three times a week too. I’d really caught the exercise bug, thanks to FitPoints® and the WW app. It motivated me every week to be just as active, if not more, than the week before.
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I’ve been at goal for over 2 years now, and I don’t miss out on our little adventures anymore. Even in autumn and winter, our outside adventures don’t stop; they get even more interesting!
We use the Woodland Trust website and download their activity sheets. Our favourites are the ‘leaf hunt’ and the ‘seed and fruit hunt’ activities. We print them off, take a few clipboards and pencils, put on our walking boots and pack our raincoats (we all know how unpredictable the weather can be!). Then we set off to the local woods, park or reservoir and have a scavenger hunt using the sheets.
“Getting out and about with the kids is a win win”
Giving the children an activity keeps them involved and excited for the walk. It makes getting out and about more enjoyable, I get to earn FitPoints and the children are learning at the same time. Win, win!
Foraging for berries in autumn is a huge favourite in our house. If you are unsure about which berries to pick, just stick to blackberries. Everyone knows those and there are plenty of recipes in the WW app using blackberries. My personal favourite is the apple and blackberry crumble.
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Autumn usually signals darker nights and cosy evenings watching TV inside, but I really love putting my trainers on and going for a walk in the crisp air. I actually find I go out more in autumn, as the hay fever season is over. As long as I have my body warmer, reflective gear and headphones I’m a happy lady!
“Home workouts are great for a rainy day”
On those days where the wind is howling and the rain is bouncing off the pavement, I roll out my yoga mat in the bedroom and stretch out. I love ‘yoga with Adrienne’ on YouTube. If I fancy something a little more strenuous, I’ll use my fitness app in my phone and workout at home. Minimal equipment is needed – usually just hand weights and resistance bands.
I find for my home workouts, it’s best exercising in the morning before the children wake up. Any later and I lose my motivation on those darker nights. So, I get myself up at 6am before the children usually wake at 7am and get it done. Sometimes they wake early, but as long as I have the cereal and bowls already set out on the table, I can usually finish my workout.
Autumn really is an exciting time to get out and about with the family and still stay active!
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