Same Year, New Me: 3 Challenges to Try This September

Every time the seasons change, people often commit to a new challenge. September is a period of new beginnings and many people have vowed to change the person they were earlier in the year – after failing to achieve such resolutions by mid-January. These challenges could be exercise-related, diet-related, or even just be attempts to boost overall fitness. So, here are three September challenges to try to live a healthier life.

Give Up Smoking

Giving up smoking is a classic challenge to live a healthier life – but it’s easier said than done. Most people cut down on cigarettes and take up another alternative, such as nicotine patches or gum. This helps with cutting down, yet still feeds the cravings for nicotine.

One way of doing this could be through taking up snus instead. The product helps those who are wanting to cut down on smoking, while not giving up tobacco completely. Snus not only helps reduce cravings of nicotine – it has a nicotine content that would satiate smokers – but it reduces the smells associated with and, in many cases, the cost of smoking. There are many flavours of snus available, from liquorice to mint and lime, as it shows here – with Odens Snus, a premium Swedish brand of the tobacco alternative available to ship internationally.

Set Yourself an Exercise Challenge

As the colder months draw in, it can be difficult to find the motivation to do the necessary exercise to stay fit on a daily and weekly basis. Setting challenges alongside your workouts could prove beneficial. This could be a 5km run, a 10k, or even a half-marathon. Working towards something helps to consolidate your training to a measurable goal and ensures that you have the determination to do the exercise when it is dark at 5pm.

The benefit of these exercise challenges is that they are usually popular, so you may even find a network of likeminded people who are beginning fitness journeys like you are. For example, Morecambe has the Lancaster Race Series and the Lancaster and Morecambe Athletics Club, which could help in your training and provide you with a series of cheerleaders who will help push you to achieve your goals.

Cut Down on Screen Time

A fairly new resolution – but one that we could all benefit from – is to avoid going on our screens as much. Reports indicate that the average Briton will spend 34 years of their lives staring at screens. Some of this screen time is unavoidable – such as working or studying – but much of it can be controlled. Try setting limits on the amount of time you spend watching TV, be discerning with what you do choose to watch, and find some other hobbies that can occupy your time. Most smartphones have settings that monitor your screen time and can help you see what you spend most of your time doing on your screens – social media is increasingly becoming the focus of a lot of our time.

New resolutions can be beneficial as the seasons change to give us something to focus on as we are wistful for the long languorous days of summer. These challenges can be based around a personal health habit we want to break, like smoking, or can be a way to maintain fitness levels when the weather turns. We might just want to cut down on the time we spend on screens – so as soon as you finish reading this, close the laptop and get those running shoes on.

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