Sweater Weather and Sore Muscles: Using Echelon to Transition Between Seasons (Hello, October)

By Jama Oliver | Probably Wearing Leggings and a Cardigan

October is weird. One day you’re sweating through a tank top, and the next you’re Googling “can I wear fleece to the pumpkin patch without dying.” Summer is definitely over, but fall hasn’t fully committed. It’s like the seasonal equivalent of someone ghosting you and then texting “hey :)” three weeks later.

Which makes it the perfect time to re-evaluate your fitness routine—and yes, that includes leaning into the chaotic, wonderful transition with Echelon by your side (or in your living room, or whispering motivation from the handlebars).

Here’s how to use October - the month of crunchy leaves, decorative gourds, and a concerning number of candy corn debates (I am solidly PRO candy corn, btw) - as a reset button for your mind, body, and workout routine.

1. Get Real About the Seasonal Funk

Let’s not pretend fall is all apple cider and cozy vibes. The days get shorter, the evenings get darker, and suddenly your motivation goes poof like a ghost in a Spirit Halloween display. You might feel sluggish. Your sleep might be weird. Your body might be like “we’re storing fat for the winter, yes?”

It’s fine. You’re not broken. You’re just human. And Echelon’s here to help you move through it - literally.

Try this:

• “Low Impact 30” with Nicole if you need serotonin on demand.
  
  

• “Flow & Restore Yoga 20” with Ryn to stretch out the stress and maybe not cry during pigeon pose (no promises).
  
  

• “Walk 20” with Sam when you want gentle movement but can’t even with burpees right now.
  
  

2. Reboot Your Routine Without Going Full Type-A

October’s transitional vibe makes it an ideal time to refresh your fitness goals. But this doesn’t mean you need to go full New Year’s Resolution Mode™️. Just ask yourself:

• What worked over the summer?
  
  

• What totally didn’t?
  
  

• What actually fits into your life now that everything smells like cinnamon?
  
  

Use that info to build your October schedule—with some wiggle room, because your kids’ Halloween costumes will fall apart at least twice.

Try this:

• Create a “Reset Stack” of short FitPass classes you can do even on your busiest days.
  → Example:
  
  

• Strength 5 - Arms with Me! (Jama)
  
  

• Kettlebell 20 - Total Body with Michael
  
  

• Mobility 20 - Total Body with Marc
  
  

Voilà! You’ve moved. You’re amazing. You can eat that apple cider doughnut now.

3. Layer Up—In Life and In Fitness

Let’s be honest: October is the month of layers. You leave the house in a hoodie and come home in a tank top and regret. So your workouts should follow suit.

Start light, build intensity, finish with something grounding. Think of it as a three-part fall fashion moment, but with more sweat.

Try this:

• Total Body Bootcamp 45 class with Jaime or Eden, where your quads cry but your heart sings.
  
  

• Row + Core combos with Nicole or John, perfect for days you want to feel athletic and slightly smug.
  
  

• Mobility or Stretch Classes tacked on at the end - because crunchy leaves are cute, but crunchy joints are not.
  
  

4. Ride the Energy Swings (Don’t Fight Them)

October has major identity crisis energy. One day you’re like “I’m going to organize my spice cabinet and do a 60-minute bootcamp!” and the next day you’re horizontal by 3:17 p.m. with a blanket and no regrets.

Rather than resisting the ebb and flow, work with it. Echelon’s platform has everything from high-octane cardio explosions to “I showed up, please clap” stretch sessions.

💡Try this:

• “20-Minute Tabata Ride” with Ryn when you need a pick-me-up (and maybe a few dad jokes).
  
  

• “20-Minute Puppy Yoga” with Marc and Sam when your brain feels like a browser with 49 tabs open.
  
  

• “HIIT 20” with Justin if you're stuck at home and refuse to change out of your slippers.
  
  

5. Commit to Showing Up, Not Perfection

October isn’t about overhauling your entire life. It’s about noticing the shift and responding accordingly. Some days, that means crushing a new personal best. Other days, it means pressing play on a 10-minute stretch class so you don’t turn into a walking stress knot.

Echelon lets you do both - and celebrates you either way.

Try this:

• Bookmark your “Go-To 20s”: 20-minute rides, rows, strength sessions you love enough to repeat.
  
  

• Schedule a weekly live class you can show up to like an appointment. The accountability hits different.
  
  

• Drop into the community groups or leaderboards when you need to remember you’re not doing this alone.
  
  

Fall Doesn’t Have to Be a Fitness Faceplant

October is a time of transition, but it doesn’t have to be a total derailment. Whether you’re adjusting to shorter days, shifting schedules, or just trying not to hibernate emotionally, you can use Echelon to move through the change - not fight it.

Make the most of this in-between season by:

• Matching your workouts to your energy,
  
  

• Refreshing your routine (without a meltdown),
  
  

• Layering your movement like you layer your sweaters, and
  
  

• Giving yourself the grace to just. keep. showing. up.
  
  

Your pumpkin spice latte can’t do all that. But Echelon can.

Need help building a flexible fall schedule or finding your perfect October class line up? Just holler—I’ll be here, probably snacking on Halloween candy and pretending it’s part of my carb cycle.

- Jama