Fitness Thoughts & More for September

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

01 Sep 2006 05:30 AM

It's hard to start a month on a Friday. It's even harder to start that month on the Friday of a three-day weekend. The first of the month is a beginning where we can get charged and excited. Friday is the end of the week and a time to tone it down and take it easy as you roll into the weekend proper.

So how do we establish our thoughts on the month ahead? Well, let's start simply. Monday is Labor Day, banks and such will be closed as will most business offices, retail will be open though and for kids in school they get the day off and for those just waiting for Labor day, their kids go back to school on Tuesday.

That's one thought. By Tuesday, the majority of the nation's children between the ages of 5 and 18 will be back in school in some format. So for those parents who have been waiting for school to start to kick off their back to school fitness routines, you have about 72 hours or so. Get planning.

September Senses

In September, the nights will get progressively longer. The Autumn Equinox falls on or around September 20th, this is when day and night should be about equal in length. Then the hours of nighttime will gradually grow longer than hours of daylight. This will eventually culminate in flipping the clocks back an hour in late October (the weekend just before Halloween).

September is about bouquets of pencils, backpacks, textbooks and oodles and oodles of school supplies. It's about cooler days and crisper evenings. In some parts of the south, it's about the reblooming of grass and flowers as temperatures cool down from the 100s and rain begins to fall again.

In other regions, it's about changing colors of the leaves and a startling array of oranges, reds, yellows and more. It can be a great time for doing nature hikes and long walks in leafy, tree areas so you can enjoy the beauty of it.

September Memories

September is also the month that marks a great tragedy in our recent history. It will have been five years since September 11, 2001. It was a day of significant loss for the nation, for New York and for families everywhere. I know of no one not touched by that day and the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania as the passengers fought back.

September is also the month that saw the wake of devastation left by Katrina in the Gulf regions followed by the Hurricane Rita that sent damaging storms north through the region. It took down our fence - and while we were among those least affected, it was hard not to be affected by the hundreds of thousands of dispossessed who lost their homes, their families and more.

Remember, Renew, Refresh

That is my motto for September. Remember that which has come before and honor it in memorial and thought. I plan to donate a portion of my income throughout the month of September to the Hurricane Relief Funds and the Red Cross just as I did all of last fall. It won't be much, but consider that every little bit helps so even if I can only manage 5%, that's what I'll do.

It's a time of renewal. It's important to renew your fitness goals and rebuild. Whether we are rebuilding areas of devastation, rebuilding lives or simply helping to rebuild physical well-being. You may not think that rebuilding your own physical self helps others, but consider for a moment that your fitness can inspire others to reach their own goals and it also puts you into better shape to help others as well whether it is raising money through marathons for charity or just helping to build or rebuild physically.

Finally, tale a moment to enjoy the refreshing weather as the steamy south begins to cool down and the seasons begin to shift. Winter is coming and it's time to harvest your summer plans and make new plans.

How will you spend your September?

Related Articles:

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Free Hobbies

Helping Others in a Disaster

End of the Month- August Fitness Goal Check

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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