The holiday season is a time of celebration and excitement with family and friends that is filled with the temptations of seasonal food and treats, cocktails, and festive parties and get togethers. The season can be a time of overeating, skipping the gym and abandoning healthy habits. Before the holidays begin, you need to set up a plan that you can stick to and review it regularly to how you’re doing. A healthy outlook, along with regular exercise, a consistent sleep schedule and a proper diet will all help you to be successful.
Here are some ways you can stay healthy and fit this holiday season and avoid any unwanted weight gain.
1) Regular Exercise. With the many sources of stress this time of year, regular exercise can help eleviate some of the stress. Exercise is proven to relieve stress and is a good defense when things become overwhelming. There are many activities you can do to get your body moving, work up a sweat, burn calories and clear your head. Try a new class, workout at home on your treadmill or follow along with your favorite workout DVDs, get outdoors for a walk, go skating or skiing, or even join the kids on the toboggan hill. You might also find relief through calm stress reducers such as yoga, Pilates and meditation.These activities will relieve that holiday stress and you might even find a passion for a new activity!
Finding the time to exercise during the season can also be a challenge, so you need to figure out how best to manage your time and fit in workouts so they are part of your day.
2) Get enough Sleep. To maintain good health, adults need between 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. There always seems to be extra things to get done during this season, but if you try to delegate, multi-task and organize yourself so you get adequate amounts of sleep, your body will recover properly. By getting this necessary rest, it will also help eleviate some of the added stress of the season.
3) Proper Diet. To avoid mindless eating at holiday parties and family events because of the temptations of eggnog, cocktails and the many other seasonal goodies, be sure to eat a healthy snack and drink lots of water to maintain fullness before leaving home. It doesn’t mean you should totally abstain from the festive treats, it’s fine to indulge a small amount to satisfy your cravings, but know your limits and listen to your body.
As for cocktails, it’s important to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum as it can stimulate your appetite, disrupt your sleep and wreak havoc on your body and mind.
To summarize, here are some tips to help keep holiday stress and over indulgence at bay, and help you stay on track, enjoy this festive season and begin the New Year in a healthy way.
- give the gift of health to yourself
- schedule your workouts like you would a meeting
- try some time-efficient, calorie burning workouts such as running and training on cardio machines at least three times per week for 30 minutes.
- take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, and park further away from the stores or malls so you have to walk more
- get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, or at least three nights per week
- go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.
- walk outside in the sunlight to get the necessary amounts of Vitamin D that we lack and can cause sadness during this time of year
- organize a holiday get together at a gym or an outdoor activity
- host your own party to ensure the snacks are healthy
- go easy on caffeinated beverages that deplete you of vitamins and disrupt your sleep
- most of all, have fun!!!
