With Christmas fast approaching and New Year’s just around the corner we know it can be hard to find time for fitness, especially if you’re the designated shopper for the family or perhaps the one preparing for all the holiday guests. But before we get into a few ways to stay fit, it’s important to first point out the 2 main reasons people tend to slip, in terms of fitness, over the holidays.
Why Do You Gain Weight During the Holidays?
It’s actually pretty simple, but often times most people make excuses or justifications to skirt the issues. Really it comes down to 2 things:
- Nutrient to Calorie ratio decreases dramatically. What do we mean? Essentially the foods that you’ll be eating over the holiday are very calorie dense, so while it may seem like you’re eating the same amount, you’re more than likely consuming less nutrients and more calories.
- You’re Busy. Let’s be honest the holiday season is incredibly busy and time consuming, especially if you happen to be a single parent. The truth is you probably won’t have the same amount of time to fit in a workout, but you’ll still have some time and you need to take advantage of it.
7 Tips to Staying Fit Over the Holidays
1. Workout at Home or your Hotel. Most of us spend out holidays out of town or on the road traveling. Unfortunately that’s often the best excuse for not making it to the gym or staying within your normal fitness routine. You suddenly convince yourself that you’ll just workout tomorrow or next week. Well, our first piece of advice is don’t skip your workout. Even if you can only get in a quick 10 minute jog, it’s better than nothing.
2. Eat your Vegetables First. You may be tempted to dive right into your mother’s sweet potato casserole, or your grandmother’s corn pudding, but try to eat your “real” vegetables first. You know, the ones that don’t taste like candy.
3. Skip the Gravy. This may be easier said than done, especially if you’ll be having turkey, mashed potatoes, or dressing for Christmas Dinner. But wherever possible layoff any additional condiments, if you can.
4. Compound Movements are your Friend. If you find time to workout over the holidays choose exercises that move as many body parts as you can. For example, pushups, body squats, and lunges are all amazing exercises.
5. Don’t Skip Meals. This may seem counter-intuitive because you’re probably justifying skipping lunch in order to save room for dinner. The truth is that you need to keep your metabolism moving, and skipping meals is just going to slow it down.
6. Drink Water. Whether you’re between meals or during meals, opt for water when you can. It will keep you full and will prevent any excess calories from things like Egg Nog or the like.
7. Completely Change your Routine. If you typically run 5 miles, considering doing some pushups and pullups, and if you typically swim, try going for a jog. Just do something different to “shock” your muscles and really push them in to overdrive. Just make sure you don’t overdo it.
No matter what happens make sure you have fun and be safe during the holidays. And if you’re still looking for that perfect gift don’t forget to check out our Workout Headphones Holiday Gift Guide.
Happy Holidays!
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