The Christmas season is almost synonymous with overindulgence and excesses. However, the temptation to overeat and laze about normally brings regrets by the New Year. Here are some tips to stay fit during the festive season without missing out on the fun.
1. Keep to your routine
Nowadays most people are aware of how important it is to stay in shape. It decreases our risk of a number of serious health problems, and it makes us feel and look better. Most people follow a work-out routine or perform daily exercises to stay fit. During the holidays, however, many of us get out of our regular routine. Keeping your regular exercise routine going during the festive season will help you to maintain fitness. If you are pressed for time, try doing shorter, more intense workouts. Just a 15-minute high-intensity cardiac workout is really effective especially if you alternate tasks, like weights for a minute then running for a minute.
2. How to stay in shape at home
If you really have trouble fitting in your regular sessions and want to discover how to stay fit without a gym, consider buying yourself an early Christmas present. Invest in some basic pieces of the best fitness equipment available to make your own home a private gym. That way, whenever you have a few minutes to spare, you can fit in a quick workout.
3. Get inventive
Exercise does not have to take the form of a standard workout. There are many ways of keeping fit and healthy. Clearing snow, raking leaves, scraping ice off the car and taking the dog for a run are all great ways to build up a sweat and get your heart pumping. When it’s cold out, our bodies burn calories just warming up the air we breathe, so take advantage of the weather, and don’t hide away indoors and suffer from winter weight gain. Get out and embrace the cold.
4. How to stay fit on vacation
Family get-togethers are often pretty sedentary affairs, with hours spent around the fire watching old movies and talking. Get yourself and your family moving. If you are on vacation, motivate your family to come out and explore the local area with you. Suggest a snowball fight, a toboggan run, skating – anything to get them all up and moving. Get well togged up and head out to enjoy the fresh, clean air of winter together.
5. What should I eat to stay fit?
A healthy eating routine should be a normal part of our lives every day. A balanced diet should include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to make these the basis of your eating. Eat slowly and savour your food. Variety is the key to healthy eating. Not many things are intrinsically bad to eat, but eating too much of them is. Always eat a good breakfast – this is the most important meal of the day and will help you to avoid snacking.
6. Don’t overindulge
The Christmas season includes lots of delicious eats to tempt us with. Don’t deny yourself these delicacies, just enjoy them in moderation. If you are going to a night-time party, don’t be tempted to eat lightly during the day. This will only cause you to eat with excessive hunger later. Eating late in the evening is a sure-fire way to put on weight. Our metabolism slows down in the evenings, and we cannot digest food eaten at this time. That’s why your main meal of the day should be lunch. This gives your system a chance to properly digest and use the energy from the food, instead of turning it into fat. Always eat enough only to feel pleasantly satiated, never until you feel full.
7. Watch out for the drinking
Most Christmas parties involve a fair amount of alcohol consumption. There are lots of calories in alcohol, and it’s an easy way to dramatically increase your calorie intake without realising it. Choose long drinks that you can sip and enjoy slowly. Try alternating alcoholic drinks with a tonic or soda water with a twist of lemon. This will help to cut down your alcohol intake, as well as keeping you hydrated.
8. Relax and enjoy
Sometimes, Christmas can be stressful. Buying presents, endless parties, it can all get too much. Learn to say no, and don’t try and do everything. Stress has many negative effects on our health so don’t let the season of joy take it out of you. Set time apart for exercise, meditation and get a good night’s sleep. Enjoy the events and parties that you go to in moderation. Don’t deny yourself that yummy calorie-laden Christmas pudding that grandma made. Simply serve yourself a small portion, savour every mouthful, and tell Nan how delicious it was. Make this holiday period a peaceful and balanced time so that you start the New Year feeling good about yourself.
Follow these tips for getting through the Christmas season and start January with no regrets.
