My favorite day of the year is the first day after we switch to daylight saving time each spring. Technically, we don’t gain an extra hour of daylight. We simply borrow an hour from the morning and move it to the evening. But as someone who has never been much of an early riser, that feels like a fantastic trade. I happily surrender an hour of morning sunlight that I probably wasn’t going to enjoy anyway in exchange for another hour outside after work.

Every year, I enjoy that extra evening sunlight while it lasts. I spend more time outside walking, fishing, grilling, working in the yard, or simply sitting on the porch. Then, almost without noticing, the days begin to shrink. Before long, I’m leaving the office after sunset, and many of those summer routines have quietly disappeared.

The loss of those activities is easy to overlook because it happens so gradually. One week there is still enough daylight for an evening walk. A few weeks later, there isn’t. Before long, many of us are spending our evenings almost entirely indoors. Unless we intentionally replace those outdoor activities with something else, we often become less physically active just when our bodies and minds could benefit from movement the most.

Fortunately, staying active during the fall and winter doesn’t require an elaborate fitness plan. It simply requires recognizing that our routine is about to change and making a few adjustments before those healthy habits disappear.

If you enjoy walking but don’t like walking in the dark, consider using a treadmill at home or at a local gym. If your evening bike rides are no longer practical, perhaps this is the perfect time to try an indoor cycling class. You might join a gym, sign up for yoga, swim laps at an indoor pool, or play pickleball or basketball at a local recreation center. Even a simple strength-training routine a few evenings each week can help fill the gap left by shorter days.

The key is to find something you actually enjoy. We are far more likely to stick with an activity that we look forward to than one that feels like another obligation on an already busy calendar.

It is also worth taking advantage of the daylight we still have. If your schedule allows, take a short walk during lunch, eat outside on pleasant days, or park a little farther from the office. Even a few extra minutes outdoors can help you stay connected to the natural light that becomes increasingly scarce as winter approaches.

The changing seasons are predictable. Every year we adjust our routines as the days grow longer in the spring. We should be just as intentional about adjusting them when the days begin to grow shorter.

We cannot stop the sun from setting earlier, but we can decide what comes next. By replacing our summer routines with new ones that fit the season, we can stay active, protect our well-being, and arrive at spring ready to enjoy that “extra” hour of evening daylight all over again.