Guidance from Back on Track through the seasons: BoT will guide you through and implement seasonal shifts in classes, walks, runs and events. We do this through a mixture of observation, celebration and participation in a variety of seasonally-appropriate activities. These have previously included solstice runs, seasonally inspired walks (such as a twilight walk) and seasonal fitness challenges. We invite our trusted collaborators to share their wisdom, helping us to put together events such as our Late Summer gong baths.

BoT blogs and How-to Guides: We offer you blog posts and easy-to-follow guides through the seasons – including advice on seasonal eating, how to move, and how to read the signs of when to turn in or outwards; when to rest, reflect and recover, and when it’s a good time to expand and explore new paths and ideas. Your life will be more balanced and more connected.

BoT advice on Seasonal Health: We’ll advise on how to keep your body in good health to combat seasonal challenges such as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), low sun exposure, and vitamin deficiency. We can help you pinpoint which organs need to be protected and nurtured, and how to do that. Further, you’ll receive tips on how to align with the circadian rhythm, for better sleep, digestion and optimal health.

It’s not just about fuelling your body. Seasonal eating is also all about nourishing your mind, your energy and your spirit and staying aligned with our natural cycles, such as our circadian rhythm.

Our hormones are tuned into a 24h daily cycle, impacting on nourishment, digestion and optimal health, therefore when we eat is as important as what we eat. Besides daily alignment, during the transition of nature’s seasons our bodies require different foods as we prepare for changing living conditions. Are you listening to the intuitive seasonal urges? Indeed, seasons also bring cyclical changes in our metabolism.

Humans experience a similar shift to woodland animals, switching from mild insulin resistance in the winter (holding onto fat reserves) and back to an insulin-sensitive state during the summer. Whole foods have a cyclical rhythm. Local and rich soil-grown vegetables fuel you with the maximum nutrients.

There is massive decline in physical fitness – in turn, resulting in overwhelming fatigue – due to unhealthy long hours of sitting, daily conveniences, and lack of time to move!
For all of us, there is an urgency to review our daily movement patterns to get back to physical resilience. Did you know that through optimising activities, by recognising the rhythm of the seasonal shifts – in particular the summer-to-autumn and winter-to-spring transition – you can bring your body and mind back into balance? We can help!

• More (accessible) movement:
  BoT challenges you to review your movement patterns, and encourages you to reintroduce baseline patterns of movement (for example, making regular longer runs or walks a routine; taking the stairs) – so building physical strength and resilience.
  (Health warning! The majority of people SIT too much – an average of 6.5hrs per day – which means that our daily movement patterns are out of sync, as well as being harmful to the body and mind).
• Train seasonally:
  BoT includes exercises and movement patterns in tune with the seasons. Fitcamps and run clubs consider seasonal transitions to optimise movement and experience. PLUS, we also connect with the natural environment; it helps to increase longevity, and to find a better balance in our physical bodies.This incudes:
  – In the winter: easier endurance-based and cardiovascular focused workouts, alongside harder interval-based (HIIT) training;
  – In the summer: larger volume of exercises, new routines, cross training (with longer daylight hours), and an element of exploration and playfulness (for example, rounders games);
  – In spring, it’s often the beginning of mapping out a new exercise routine, planning your race season, or a review of your diet whilst encouraging outward focus;
  – Our seasonal class timings also pay attention to circadian rhythms, as the seasonally-changing sleep-wake cycle is also part of our response to the natural environment. BoT fitcamps are mostly outdoors, and we connect you with the natural elements and perfectly wonky woodland floor, with endless possibilities of trees and logs to aid our never-boring workouts.
  – By following seasonal shifts you’ll experience more energy and a better quality of life, and have fun getting your hands muddy!

Why not try out our FitCamp or join us on our hikes or themed runs celebrating the seasons.

We are busy preparing a free downloadable winter guide for you, to help you get the most benefit out of the season. Please check back soon!

In the meantime you can CLICK HERE to read our latest blog post, where guest contributor Anna Earl of Nutrivival chats about circadian rhythms, and helping your body clock’s eat-sleep routine adjust to the seasons.