When I stepped outside early this morning to head to the park for the FITNESS Mind, Body, Spirit Games, the crisp air made it very evident that summer is over and the cooler, less outdoorsy and more indulgent months are on the way! So while it may be time to retire your swimsuit for the season in most parts of the country, it doesn’t mean that it’s time to put your healthy habits on hold.

Keep reading for four fun facts from September’s wellness-focused magazines that can help this fall be your healthiest yet!

• A little greenery can make a big difference in your workplace. Leafy or flowery plants around the office increase your productivity and ability to concentrate, according to new research mentioned in SHAPE. Bamboo shoots, like those seen at right, are pretty hearty and can lend a zen vibe.
• You know it’s more challenging to walk uphill, but how much more effective does it make your workout? FITNESS reports that you can burn 15 percent more calories by cranking it up to a six percent incline during your 3.5 MPH walk. If you’re ready for an even bigger challenge, take a serious hike at a 15 percent incline and 2.5 MPH to burn 75 percent more calories than walking on a flat surface.
• That brown sugar hiding in the back of your refrigerator is better for more than sweetening cookies, Health says. It can stand in for antiseptics when you have a small cut: Just clean the area, cover the cut with brown sugar and top it off with a Band-Aid for a few hours. (Re-wash, sugar and bandage again once or twice over the next two days.) Apparently, brown sugar can act as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, although I’ll save the sugar for baking and stick with Neosporin unless the situation becomes dire!
• Fitness fiends may compensate for all of that hard work by easing the intensity of their other daily activities. On days that women worked out hard, they burned 70 fewer calories during the remainder of the day compared to when they skipped the gym, a study noted in Women’s Health found. Researchers claim your body may slow down your metabolism to avoid losing too many calories, or you may talk yourself out of walking from that distant parking space to the store since you already took a bunch of steps that day. Don’t forget the health powers of making your regular activities a little more active! Plus some walking or stretching on your hard training days can ease muscle soreness later on.

Do you find that you look for movement shortcuts throughout the more challenging days on your workout calendar?