Tis the season to be jolly like Santa Claus! Yep, it may well be the thing that fitness enthusiast dread – to become a fat fellow like Old Saint Nick. Well, it can’t be helped because the holidays starting from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day are filled with food, food and more food.
There’s also the hectic schedule that comes with celebrating the holidays. Dinners with family and friends, coffee meet-ups with buddies, and picnics with the gang – everything just seems to conspire against your fitness plans.
Fortunately, there are effective ways to still get in your Fitness First workouts despite the festivities.
Cut Yourself Some Slack
During the holidays, it’s more challenging to stick to your health and fitness plan because of the packed party schedule, the office deadlines, and the food feasts nearly everywhere you go. Your commitment will be challenged and whatever steady progress you made during the last 11 months may go slightly downhill on the last month of the year.
But that’s okay! You have to cut yourself some slack – the emphasis is on “some” and not “completely” – because life’s too short to always be on your toes, health-wise.
During the festivities, you should focus more on maintaining your fit body, not on making improvements on it. Your shift in mindset means that you won’t have to worry about every slice of cake, piece of cookie, and glass of wine. You will enjoy the food because you deserve it but not go on a bingeing mode.
Commit Yourself to Physical Activity
If you can’t enjoy strenuous exercises during the holidays, then you should level up on the physical activity. Yep, there’s a difference between the two but physical activity is better than no activity at all.
A few examples of getting in exercise-like physical activity that can substitute for a quick visit to the gym:
- Lift the bags of groceries from the store to your car instead of using a cart and walk briskly, too.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator; ride your bike instead of driving your car; and jog instead of walking to your destinations. You will get your heart pumping and burn the calories while also going about your daily business.
- Lend a helping hand with the clearing up of the post-party mess and do so with more spring in your step. Household chores can also burn calories when you do them faster than usual – sweat away the calories.
You have to communicate with your family and friends about your commitment to staying fit – in lean and mean shape – even with the more-than-usual food intake. You will likely not be pressured to eating more just because it’s the holidays.
You should also think about getting your workout essentials always ready, such as stowing your gym bag in the trunk of your car. You can then insert a quick trip to Fitness First between parties.