Staying Fit During the Holidays

The holidays can be a very busy and stressful time for everyone, including lots of planning, preparation, and for some, traveling. Often the first thing we eliminate from our schedules because we feel we have limited time is working out. Plus combining that with enjoying some of
our favorite meals and maybe overeating makes holidays tough on our health, and put us back a little in reaching our goals. So how do we balance our health goals while also being able to relax and enjoy all of the good company and food?

Find time:
As I stated before I know how crazy busy people get during the holidays but getting to the gym or doing a workout at home is important. It’s fine to take a couple days off but the holidays can not be an excuse to take a week or longer off. Make sure you do your best to still get a workout in. Remember something is better than nothing! Working out is also a great stress reliever and may help you be able to relax and enjoy your holidays even more!

Find some active holiday activities:
Being active does not have to only be in a gym, it’s also important to stay moving throughout the day, so plan some fun activities that also get you off the couch. I know it might be cold but put on a jacket, go walk around and look at Christmas lights, go shopping and walk around the mall, or even go sledding. It doesn’t matter what the activity is, the important part is just moving around.

Food:
This is one many of us struggle with. Our holidays are often scheduled around food and with lots of good options it’s very difficult to not overindulge. A few tips are to make small portions, this way you can still try all of the delicious food without eating too much. If leftovers are an option, remind yourself that you can always have whatever you wanted, but were full and didn’t need, tomorrow for lunch or dinner. Also finally if you know you are going to be having a bigger meal that day, make your other meals that day smaller to keep you around your normal caloric intake. Make sure you enjoy the holidays but don’t use it as an excuse to let yourself go.