The weather is cooling down, but the stoves are heating up for the holiday season. And we know with the holidays comes sugar overload and good eats. From now until the night of the New Year’s Resolutions, your days are most likely filled with family gatherings and outings with sweet treats. It is no surprise for some to loosen a notch on the belt or deal with a waistband feeling a little tighter. Instead of tossing on a pair of maternity pants for some turkey breathing room, here are a few tips and tricks to stay fit this holiday season.
4 Holiday Fitness Tips to Keep You Healthy This Season
Move it, move it.
Find a reason to move around. Now, I’m absolutely going to sit and watch some football this year, though I am not one who is generally able to sit for too long. However, I recommend (and it may seem silly) in between commercials, getting up and walking around. If you're feeling ambitious, maybe even do a few squats and push ups. Studies show that moving for only five minutes every 30 minutes to an hour and by engaging in light movement diminishes the risk of diabetes and other heart disease risks.
Establish your game plan.
Write up a game plan! Be your own coach. The holiday season is a terror to exercise and fraught with meal indulgence. Before a party be just like a coach before a game. Have a plan in place and don't go to the party starving. Track your food intake and your hydration level. Always stay hydrated because the brain, in some cases, will confuse thirst for hunger. A large glass of water before a meal can assist in decreasing the amount of food consumed. Especially drink another glass of H2O before considering seconds.
Become an early bird.
What I have found that works the best for me personally when it comes to getting in a nice pump is something I have added into my every day routine. I exercise early. Not only does it put me in a great mood for the rest of the day, but by working out in the morning, I get to go home at the end of the day and relax - instead of still having another task after a long day.
The holiday season is my favorite time of the near, not just for Christmas and such, but my birthday lands the day before New Year’s Eve. So it is a season full of indulgences for me, which is hard on the body. To relieve the possible negative effects of the season, I recommend making sure you exercise in the morning so you don't get distracted later in the day with parties and other holiday hoopla. I also recommend getting plenty of sleep and keeping daily lists to stay structured and stress-free.
Enjoy it!
HAVE FUN! Have a good holiday season, and remember: indulge for a day, not an entire season. The reality is that one indulgent day won’t break you or your health goals, as long as you stay disciplined. What occurs for most individuals is one day of indulgence will turn into a second day of treats, and the third becomes a day of skipping the gym or a run. That routine often starts at Thanksgiving and continues through the remainder of the year. This is how the dad bod gets created.
I recommend writing down your day of tasks and placing it where you won’t forget it. Then mark off what you complete. This simple checklist gives you the visual of what you are completing (and keeps your eyes on the prize - no matter how much pie is available!)
Looking for more expert fitness tips to survive the holiday season? Book a complimentary consultation with me, LifeScape's personal fitness trainer! Book today and I'll help you get the game plan you need for the season.
