Doesn’t fall feel like a fresh start? Seeing the kids returning to school and the start of a new year makes us nostalgic to want a fresh start too! With the fresh start season here, we all have different goals. Some people are looking for more energy, while others are hoping for better balance, maintaining quality mental health and finding an enriching community before we get snowed in. All these goals matter and all these goals are possible to be met starting with steps we can make today! There’s never been a better time than the time to start.

With winter coming, the threat of tips and falls starts to get more real. From icy surfaces, wet floors, or just having to go back to changing shoes, life is more dangerous in the winter. One way to become more independent and confident in your balance is yoga and tai chi. These classes teach us how to be present in our bodies, to use our breath to ground ourselves and the added benefits of balance, strength and flexibility. Balance can change very quickly, and we know what stress affects our balance! In mindbody classes, we learn breathing techniques and body grounding so we can lower our stress and be more present. Which in turn, helps when it comes to trips and falls. Many trips and falls happen under stress and rushing around.

Mental health is something most of us are focused on. Mental health goals are a lot like balance! They ebb and flow from day to day, and it’s a commitment that takes maintenance to continue that well-being we desire. Our nervous systems are overloaded, and we all have STRESS. Our “fight, flight, or freeze response,” to stress needs to end somehow and one of the fastest ways is exercise. It’s proven!  According to a Standford University study supported by, Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski,( twin sisters who wrote Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle) suggest that if you want to end your stress cycle you should “zoom-ba!” Which is a pun off the famous Zumba® classes. To MOVE your body! The globe would agree! Zumba® is wildly popular with all ages in over 185 countries and has changed the world of fitness forever! If you are stressed, or just need a good time, reach out to mhoadley@nchsi.org and mention this article to get a free drop-in class! The endorphins will be flowing, the stress will be melting, your new friends will be supporting you and your mental health will come to a place you might not know was possible or sustainable.

Speaking of new friends. Making friends and finding community is hard! However, taking a class alone is so normal! This is a great way to find community! Community plays a big role in our overall sense of self-worth, motivation and feeling of importance. This matters! We are never wrong for making it a goal to find more friends or healthy communities to be ourselves. A place like The Wellness Center or another community group is a GREAT START! This is a place to find like-minded people who can encourage you, share experience and celebrate achievements and milestones along the way. Sure, community is great for health and fitness goals, but it’s also really important for life in general! If you know you need to make some friends for winter, join something now. The meaningful relationships that you might not know you deserve or could have are just one “hello,” away!

It can be easy to shut ourselves in and hibernate for the winter. However, we know the toll that takes on our overall health and the increased strain that causes. Consider this your official invitation to let your hospital’s non-profit Wellness Center be a support to help you have a healthful fall this year (www.northcountryhospital.org/wellnesscenter) But don’t wait! Starting BEFORE daylight savings time matters! This is going to help you save a ton of energy on your new goals! Surveys from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) have found that about 63% of Americans would prefer to eliminate DST (John Hopkins University Study) because it causes such a disruption in their energy, sleep and moods. Don’t delay, start today!  There’s never been a better time!