Surviving the Holidaze: Sanity & Waistline in Tact!

byfitpro48

194 followers

Updated 8 years ago

The holidays for many people revolve around social events and all of the eating and drinking that go along with it. Add that into the mix of shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking and all of the other "busy-ness" that goes hand in hand with the season and you can usually find your exercise regime kicked to the curb. If this sounds like you...keep reading! Below you will find top secret tips on how to survive the holidays with your sanity as well as your waistline in tact!

1. Something is Better than Nothing

Making time to exercise may not be as easy with all of the extra holiday prep and activities, but I guarantee you will feel better if you at least do something. My "something is better than nothing" mentality makes it okay to only exercise for a short period of time. There are many quick workouts you can do with little to no equipment at home which save time by not having to travel back and forth to the gym. Even 20-30 minutes of either cardio or lifting or even just stretching can help to keep you mentally sharp. Exercise has been proven to elevate your "feel-good" chemicals in your brain thereby reducing stress. So getting at least a small amount of exercise in is much better than getting no exercise in and will help to ease the holiday stress.

2. Enjoy the Company

Socializing with friends and family doesn't have to be a FOOD event. It's about the company, right? So, try to get some exercise earlier in the day of a holiday party. Eat smaller, healthy meals throughout the day, and try to eat a small healthy snack prior to leaving. DO NOT go to the party starving. This will prevent you from overeating unhealthy foods at the party and feeling that awful full feeling at the end of the night.

3. Exercise Reduces Stress

By this point, I'm guessing that you are starting to see a theme... The first thing that goes for many people around this busy holiday season is their exercise regime. But the most important way to retain some mental clarity, reduce stress, and not gain excess weight is to continue to exercise. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't mean you have to take up 3 hours of your day, just do something. Do it for yourself.

4.The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Many of your local, hospital based wellness centers offer monthly programs and seminars on a variety of topics from healthy eating to exercising. Often times the seminars are free and open to the public. You can gain some valuable tips from experts in the field on how to make healthy lifestyle changes. There are also Fitness challenges or programs designed to go for a specified period of time (usually 8-16 weeks) that you can participate in to have some accountability. It's truly the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones over the holidays. Think about it, if you can reduce your stress levels, keep yourself active and fit thereby reducing the risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and more, won't that make the holidays that much more enjoyable? And you don't have to feel guilty about it. Taking care of yourself means that you can better care for your loved ones.

Enjoy the season this year! Make sure you are getting what you need in order to be there and give to others!

Happy Holidays!

Ruth