Metro Creative Connection – Between decking the halls, visiting family and attending holiday parties, it may seem like there is little time to maintain a workout routine during the holiday season. While the holiday season is an especially busy time of year, men and women who plan and stay dedicated to their routines do not need to let their health fall by the wayside until January.
Several studies show that people can gain anywhere from one pound to a few pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although that might not seem like a lot of weight, a report in The New England Journal of Medicine noted that many people never lose the weight they put on during the holidays.
Those who struggle to keep the weight off understand the importance of maintaining both a consistent fitness schedule and healthy eating habits. This may be challenging when the rich foods and parties synonymous with the holiday season are around to threaten healthy habits. Here’s how to stay on course.
• Establish a regular exercise date. Treat exercise as any other obligation on the calendar.
• Don’t worry about the length of your workouts. If you’re accustomed to an hour long workout but cannot fit in more than 20 minutes on some days, don’t skip the workout simply because it’s shorter.
• Change your schedule. You may need to alter your daily schedule to fit in gym workouts or other exercise. Try getting up earlier and heading out prior to work or school.
• Get a trainer or a workout buddy. It’s far easier to blow off a workout when you go it alone.
• Try new activities. Workouts need not be limited to exercises in the gym. Plenty of activities work the body and burn calories. Sledding, ice skating, skiing, and snowboarding are just a few winter sports that can help you stay in shape.
• Add short, high-intensity exercises. Burn more calories in less time with high-intensity workouts.
• Transform chores into exercise opportunities. See that vacuum cleaner, rake or broom as a piece of exercise equipment.
• Use your bodyweight. Even if you can’t make it to the gym, rely on your own body resistance for a thorough workout. Pushups, squats, burpees, mountain climbers, jumping rope, and lunges are some exercises that rely on bodyweight for effectiveness.
• Periodically exercise during the day. If you have a few free moments here and there during the day, use these opportunities to exercise.
• Exercise and fitness do not have to play second fiddle to other holiday activities. Make time for workouts, and you will be ahead of the game come the new year.