As summer winds down and work and school get into their fall schedules, improving your health may not at the top of your to-do list. However, it can be a great time to prepare for the coming winter, preventing and reducing colds and flus and decreasing stress and weight gain associated with the holiday season.

It is often easier as well to start and stick to new, healthier routines in the fall. This is because things are more settled and routine in the fall versus summer. School and activities happen on a regular basis, making it easier to set up predictable times to exercise, for example. Because so many activities begin in fall, it can be a great time to increase your commitment to yourself and your health, such as by beginning a new yoga class or joining a weight loss support group. It is also easier to remember to take those supplements when life is in a more predictable routine. Some people tend to overschedule themselves, causing increased stress and decreased time to relax and reflect. Fall can be a great time to change those patterns, rather than in the dead of winter on New Year’s Day, for example, a time when many people try and fail to keep to their resolutions to be healthier.

Whether it is a new, healthier way of eating, a new exercise routine, a supplement and nutritional plan to ward off colds and flus, or a new commitment to better habits, a good place to start is with a visit to a naturopathic doctor. They have the skills and training to identify health problems and suggest simple yet effective solutions which most people can achieve.

And remember to take your Vitamin D!