Exercise – September 2026: The Autumn Exercise Reset — Build a Routine Before Winter
Author: Jamie Pickett, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Health Facilitator, & Founder of My Movement Medicine.
Free: 5 minute read
Premium: 11 minute read
Category: Exercise, Heart Health, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Members’ Health Guide Library
Introduction
September is a useful time to reset your exercise routine.
The long evenings are starting to shorten, holidays are ending, work and family routines are settling again, and colder weather is on the way.
That can make autumn one of two things: the point where activity quietly drops away, or the point where a simple routine becomes established before winter.
You do not need a dramatic fitness plan. A good autumn reset is about making exercise easier to repeat when weather, daylight and weekly routines become less predictable.
Don’t wait for January to restart. Build the routine now, while the change of season gives you a natural point to reset.
What should an autumn exercise routine include?
For most adults, the overall target remains a mixture of aerobic activity and muscle strengthening.
The refreshed 2026 UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidance recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, alongside strengthening activities on at least two days.
It also emphasises that any increase in activity is worthwhile, particularly when someone is moving from inactivity to doing more.
UK Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines — the current UK guidance.
For people with heart conditions, long-term conditions or lower fitness, those targets should be built towards gradually and adapted to individual clinical advice.
The autumn reset: three things to protect
1. Your aerobic routine
Walking, cycling, structured classes and other continuous activities help maintain cardiovascular fitness.
Aim to keep some regular aerobic movement in the week rather than relying on one long session at the weekend.
Three purposeful walks
Two group exercise sessions
One indoor cycle and two walks
Several shorter bouts spread across the week
The exact combination matters less than whether you can repeat it consistently.
2. Your strength
Strength work becomes particularly important as everyday activity starts to move indoors and people spend more time sitting.
Two short strength sessions can include:
Sit-to-stands
Wall or supported press-ups
Resistance-band rows
Calf raises
Step-ups
Light dumbbell exercises
You don’t need to train to exhaustion. Use controlled repetitions, breathe continuously and avoid heavy straining.
Exercise – May 2026: National Guidelines — Strength + Balance Twice a Week — our guide to the twice-weekly strength and balance recommendation.
3. Your habit
The most useful autumn goal may simply be protecting the times in the week when exercise happens.
Choose your exercise slots before the weather or diary makes the decision for you.
Monday: structured exercise
Wednesday: 20-minute walk
Friday: strength session
Sunday: longer easy walk
A modest routine that survives October and November is more useful than a demanding September plan that disappears after two weeks.
Use Borg RPE and the talk test
Changing weather, clothing, wind and fitness can all change how the same activity feels. Use effort rather than pace alone.
Borg RPE 6–20
RPE 9–11: very light to light
RPE 11–13: light to somewhat hard
RPE 12–14: moderate for many stable participants when appropriate
People returning after illness, a cardiac event or a long break should usually begin towards the lower end of their prescribed range.
Talk test
Easy: you can talk comfortably and could probably sing.
Moderate: breathing is deeper, but you can still talk.
Hard: you can only say a few words before pausing.
For most heart-health exercise, the aim is to remain at an intensity where conversation is still possible.
Physical activity for adults and older adults: 19 and over — the current UK infographic also uses the talk test to describe moderate intensity.
Autumn means a longer warm-up
As the temperature drops, give your body more time to move from rest into exercise.
For people with cardiovascular disease, a gradual warm-up is particularly important.
A practical warm-up may last around 10 to 15 minutes and gradually increase movement from very light towards the planned exercise intensity.
During the warm-up, keep the effort light — around Borg RPE 9–11 — and make sure you can talk comfortably.
British Heart Foundation: Warm-up exercises — BHF’s cardiac-focused warm-up guidance.
Do not let darker evenings remove your walking routine
If you normally walk after work, the same route can feel very different once daylight shortens.
Before autumn is fully established, decide what your darker-evening alternative will be.
Walk earlier in the day
Use a well-lit route
Walk with someone else
Use an indoor treadmill
Complete a short home aerobic session
Attend a scheduled class instead
When walking near traffic in low light, prioritise visibility and routes where you feel secure.
Walking for Heart Health — A Practical Guide for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Long-Term Conditions — our full walking guide.
Cold weather can change the cardiovascular demand
Cool autumn weather is often comfortable for exercise, but colder, windy and wet conditions can place more strain on the cardiovascular system.
The British Heart Foundation explains that cold causes blood vessels in the skin to narrow, which can raise blood pressure and make the heart work harder.
Some people with angina may also notice that symptoms are easier to trigger in cold weather.
British Heart Foundation: Will cold weather affect my heart condition? — practical advice for people with heart conditions in colder weather.
As temperatures fall:
Wear layers that can be removed as you warm up
Keep the chest, hands and head warm
Extend the warm-up
Reduce the initial pace
Choose an indoor alternative on particularly cold, wet or windy days
Follow your individual symptom and medication plan
You do not need to stop exercising because autumn arrives. You may simply need to change where, when or how you exercise.
Use an indoor–outdoor backup system
One of the easiest ways to lose consistency is to have only one version of your exercise plan.
Create a simple backup for each outdoor session:
Outdoor walk → treadmill or indoor walking
Outdoor cycle → stationary bike
Park strength session → home resistance-band session
Long outdoor walk → shorter indoor circuit
The goal is not to reproduce the exact same workout. It is to keep the habit alive.
When to slow down or stop
Reduce the pace or resistance when:
Your Borg RPE rises above your intended range
You cannot talk at the expected level
Breathing becomes uncomfortable
You feel unusually fatigued or unsteady
You are not recovering when the effort is reduced
Stop exercising and follow your personal medical plan if you develop:
Chest pain, pressure, tightness or discomfort
Dizziness, faintness or feeling close to fainting
Severe or unusual breathlessness
A new or concerning irregular heartbeat
Palpitations with chest discomfort, breathlessness or light-headedness
Sudden weakness, confusion or another serious change
Call 999 for suspected heart attack symptoms or another life-threatening emergency.
Use GTN exactly as prescribed.
Four things to do this week
Choose three fixed exercise slots for next week.
Complete one aerobic session and one strength session before the weekend ends.
Decide on an indoor alternative for your usual outdoor activity.
Write down one realistic goal to continue through October.
Continue with the Members’ Autumn Exercise Guide
The members’ section includes:
An autumn exercise audit
A four-week exercise reset programme
A weekly aerobic, strength and balance template
Indoor and outdoor alternatives
Progression rules for time and intensity
Low-energy-day options
Cold-weather and cardiac considerations
A printable Members’ Autumn Exercise Plan
SMART challenges
Frequently asked questions
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