How to Stay Healthy and Fit this Holiday Season
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and wait, is that a scale?
Here we go again! Another holiday season is here, and boy, do we make the most of it. Tis the season of sweet treats, heaping plates, endless holiday parties and too many workouts missed at the gym. Some of us claim that we can’t find the time to workout, some of us just don’t have the will, and the rest of us just can’t get off the couch! This year, you have a choice! You don’t have to be in desperate need of a personal trainer, an ab roller, and a body shaper when the New Year rolls around. Here are a few ways to stay healthy and fit this holiday season.
Keep Moving
It’s tempting to take the gym off your to-do list as your days fill up with holiday preparations, parties and errands, but finding the time to exercise is a must. Keeping a regular workout schedule will help keep your weight in check and is one of the best ways to relieve some of the stress associated with the holidays. It will also boost your energy, improve your mood, and give you some much needed time to yourself.
Do whatever you need to do to keep moving:
Even if it’s only twenty minutes, twenty minutes is better than no minutes. Go for an early morning jog, hit the gym after work, or go for a walk after a holiday meal.
- Choose activities that are easy to do at a moment’s notice such as walking, running, jump roping, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpees or bicycling.
- Exercise wherever and whenever you can. Take the stairs, park as far away from the shopping mall as possible, and wear a pedometer to see how many steps you take while out running errands.
- Make it a family affair. When you get together with family and friends, plan to stay active. Walk around the neighborhood to look at holiday decorations, go sledding, go skiing, have a snowball fight, or build a snow man.
- Don’t forget strength training. You can maintain your muscle mass by sticking to the basics. Choose compound, multi-joint movements to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time.
Watch What You Put In Your Mouth
Treating every party as an invitation to overindulge is a recipe for disaster and a sure way to gain weight. To keep your waistline from expanding this holiday season:
- Eat Before You Go. Never go to a party on am empty stomach. You’ll be less tempted to eat everything in sight if you keep yourself satisfied throughout the day.
- Choose One Treat. Once at the party, choose one thing to indulge in (yes, egg nog counts). I would suggest picking something that you can only have during the holidays.
- Control Your Drinking. Alcohol is an easy way to consume more calories than you need. It can also increase your appetite and lower your resolve to resist overeating. Try to limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage per occasion.
- Don’t Skip Meals. Eat your regular scheduled meals at their regular scheduled times to avoid going bananas at the buffet table.
Get a Good Night’s Rest
Getting enough sleep is essential if you want to get any sort of enjoyment out of the holidays! It’s also important for maintaining your health, your weight, and your sanity. 
Avoid Eating Out
At the end of an exhausting day of holiday shopping, it’s all too easy to collapse in a restaurant booth and let someone else do all the work. Eating out may sound like a logical solution, but all those extra calories can add up, leaving you feeling guiltier than ever at the end of the day.
Just Say No
Saying no can be difficult when you’re around food that family and friends went through a lot of trouble to prepare. However, there’s no better way to take control of your health and your waistline than learning to say no! Most of the time we eat things we don’t want anyways! How many times have you eaten something because you’re trying to be polite?
Plan Ahead
- Figure out what your options are ahead of time so you’re prepared for anything.
- Search for walking, running, or park trails nearby.
- When booking a hotel, make sure it has an exercise room.
- If friends or family you’re staying with don’t have any fitness equipment, find a nearby gym.
- Bring your own workout equipment! You can do a quick workout right in your bedroom or the basement.
- Suggest doing something active. Choose an activity that everyone can do together.
- Bring resistance bands. They travel well and can be used for quick strength exercises whenever you can catch a few minutes.
- Offer to help with the housework. Though it doesn’t sound all that enticing, shoveling snow burns calories!
- If everybody’s sitting around watching television, get on the floor for some crunches, pushups, and planks.
Try Circuit Training For a Quick Intense Workout
Circuit training is great for an intense workout in a short period of time. These types of workouts move quickly with no rest periods between sets to slow you down. You can combine strength and cardio together or keep them separate. The idea is to do each exercise one after the other for a certain period of time or number of reps with minimal rest. You will accomplish a fast, effective workout that will target all of your muscle groups. Here are a few guidelines to help you create your own workout:
- Choose six to ten different exercises. You have several options, including a) alternating between strength training and cardio, b) sticking with just strength-training exercises, c) doing just cardio exercises, or d) doing some combination of all of the above.
- Don’t rest between exercises. The point is to keep your heart rate up and your muscles warm, so move quickly from one exercise to another.
- Write down your workout ahead of time so there is minimal rest periods between exercises.
- Determine how long you want to do each exercise. Use either a time limit (30 to 60 seconds) or a specified number of reps (15 to 20 repetitions).
- Decide how many circuits you’ll do. Beginners should do one circuit and intermediate/advanced exercisers can do two to three circuits.
- Always warm up, cool down, and stretch after your workout.
In Conclusion:
Our sedentary lifestyles and lack of self-control are the real culprits for our holiday weight gain. This year, choose to make healthy food choices, eat in moderation, and stay active.
You aren’t always going to be in charge of your schedule during the holidays so just do the best you can. Be realistic, set small goals, and make the most of your exercise time, even if it is only for a few minutes.
The holiday season is about celebrating you, your health, and the people in your lives that matter most. Keep things in perspective and remember what is most important. Happy Holidays!!!
I have been a personal trainer for over seventeen years and I honestly feel that I have one of the best jobs out there! The most rewarding part of my profession is helping one of my clients succeed at reaching their personal fitness goals. Making a difference in someone’s life makes it all worthwhile. I am currently certified by the National Sports Conditioning Association, Apex Fitness Group and the International Sports Science Association.
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