If the sigh of relief you exhaled over the end of another bare-skin season caused the button to pop off of your favorite pants, you’re probably not alone. But you’re in luck..

September in the Ohio valley brings mild weather and agreeable conditions for taking advantage of the great outdoors. So take a deep breath of fresh fall air, sew the button back on those pants, and take your workout outside.

PLACES TO GO:

Lunken Airport features a 5-mile paved trail surrounded by dense trees that is ideal for walking, running, biking, or rollerblading in addition to a golf course and driving range, baseball fields, a child play area, and (a skate park). Do the whole loop of five miles, or go a mile in and turn around for a two-mile trek. Parking and use of the area is free and open to the public, but be aware of any weather changes and don’t get caught in the middle of the trail at dark, because once you’re in, there’s only two ways out-to go forward and finish or turn around. (262 Wilmer Avenue, Cincinnati, OH)

DeVou Park is the largest park in the city limits of Covington and encompasses 340 acres of land. In addition to being notoriously beautiful, the park has also recently undergone extensive trail renovation. According to Cindy Swegles of the City of Covington Recreation Department, DeVou Park now has roughly 2 miles of fresh, newly paved trails for walking, running, biking, and blading.(West Covington Area)

FitTip for the Week:

Slow down. Try doing your exercises in slow motion. Instead of doing 25 crunches in one quick spurt, force yourself to take 10 seconds to do each one, and really feel the burn. It may be strange at first, but going slower forces your targeted muscles and the supporting muscles surrounding to work harder against the resistance. Going slow also allows you to focus on your form, which may prevent injuries.

Have a fitness question, success story or favorite recipe? E-mail Jen at jen_fitnku@hotmail.com