“I hate winter.” One of my clients says this every year. Not dislike. Not “summer is more my thing”. Hate. And she isn’t alone. My husband, Jermain, despises Bermuda winters, too. The cooler temperatures, shorter days and darkness creeping in earlier? He wants no part of it.

While we aren't quite there yet, with our days still warm, the sun is still hanging around and Bermuda certainly hasn't packed away summer. But you can feel that little shift beginning.

The mornings are changing. The evenings are slowly getting shorter. Before long, those beautiful long summer days will be behind us and 6pm will start feeling suspiciously like bedtime. Me? I don't hate it.

I actually enjoy the change of pace that comes with the seasons. Summer in Bermuda is BUSY. Cup Match, beach days, travel, events, longer evenings, children out of school and a calendar that somehow always has something on it.

So when things begin to settle down, I don't mind it at all. But I've been doing this long enough to notice that the seasonal change affects people differently. I see it in my clients.

Energy changes. Mood changes. Motivation changes. Getting up when it's dark outside becomes harder. Heading to the gym after work becomes a negotiation because by the time you leave the office, your body is telling you the day is finished.

And once you get home, shower and get comfortable? That is it!

So perhaps now, while we still have plenty of sunshine and the season hasn't fully changed, is the best time to prepare for it.

Don't wait until your routine has completely disappeared to figure out what you're going to do.

If you know you struggle to exercise after work when it gets dark earlier, start looking at your schedule now. Could you train in the morning? At lunchtime? Could you commit to a class so someone is actually expecting you to show up?

If outdoor evening walks are your thing, what will replace them when those evenings become darker? Maybe you walk earlier. Maybe you find a walking buddy. Maybe you move some of your workouts indoors.

Have a Plan B before you need Plan B. And don't only prepare your workouts. Prepare for how the season tends to make you feel.

If you know your energy usually dips, pay a little more attention to your sleep. Get outside and enjoy the daylight when you can. Keep moving. Eat well. Spend time with people who make you laugh. Find things during the cooler months that you actually look forward to.

Manage your stress before everything starts feeling stressful. Sometimes we treat wellness like something we only need to address once things have gone wrong.

We're exhausted, so now we want to fix our sleep. We're overwhelmed, so now we want to manage our stress.

We haven't exercised in six weeks, so now we're desperately searching for motivation. What if we got ahead of it this time?

Exercise can be a huge part of that preparation, and not because we're trying to get a “winter body” or burn off everything we enjoyed during summer.

Move because of how it makes you feel.

Movement can be an outlet when life feels heavy. Your workout can be 30 or 45 minutes when you aren't answering anybody, solving anybody else's problems or thinking about everything waiting for you at home.

And some days that movement doesn't need to be intense.

Take the walk. Stretch. Do the yoga class. Lift some weights. Get outside while that Bermuda sun is shining.

Doing something is better than disappearing from your routine altogether and promising yourself you'll return when the weather warms up.

Because, respectfully, we live in Bermuda. Nobody is digging us out of a snowstorm. Put on a jacket. LOL.

Of course, there's also a difference between simply disliking winter and noticing a significant change in your mood or mental wellbeing as the seasons change. If you find yourself struggling beyond the usual lack of motivation or lower energy, don't ignore it. Speak to someone and get the support you need.

That's wellness, too. The season hasn't changed just yet. That's actually the point. We have a little time.

So if you're one of my clients who already knows the darker mornings are going to test you, start preparing now.

If you're like Jermain and already mourning summer before it has even left us … prepare yourself, babes. And if you're like me and enjoy the slightly slower pace that's coming, use it.

Different season. Different rhythm. We don't have to wait until we're struggling to adjust. This year, let's get ahead of it.

Happy Wednesday, FitFam! As usual, remain unapologetic about your fitness and wellness journey, stay true to yourself and remember …

The seasons will change. Make sure your habits can change with them.

• Dre Hinds is a personal trainer, aerobic and yoga instructor and fitness “addict” with more than 20 years’ experience. She specialises in nutrition, weight and sprint training, operating out of HindsSight Fitness and Wellness at the Berkeley Cultural Centre. Contact her at absbydre@gmail.com or on 599-6683. Find her on Facebook, X and Instagram under @Absbydre