Don’t let excess pounds put a damper on your festivities
‘Tis the season…”
‘Tis the season for Thanksgiving Day turkey and stuffing, Christmas cookie baking, frosting, decorating, and lots and lots of …eating! The anticipation for the holiday season seems to grow each year, as well as the waist line.
Let’s discuss a few things that we can all do to get moving and ring in 2010 a few pounds lighter.
When the thermometer creeps its way down, the motivation for working out seems to dwindle as well. Instead of working up a sweat, some would rather retreat to their toasty kitchen and whip up some holiday indulgences; however, there are ways to incorporate exercise into the jumble of holiday cheer.
Holiday Fitness Tip #1: Make it a night of ice skating and Christmas light viewing
Why not head to the local ice skating rink? In fact, make a night out of it.
Spend a solid afternoon dusting off those old ice skates while gaining the benefit of the cardio workout. While you may not be moving as swiftly as those Olympic speed skaters, you will be working you quadriceps for sure. You will also get to spread some holiday cheer, honoring a treasured holiday past-time, whether it is with family or a gathering of friends.
After working up an appetite, visit a favorite coffee hotspot and select something light on the menu. My personal favorite is a Chai Tea Latte with skim or soy milk. This delectable treat is filling but isn’t served with that twinge of guilt.
Another low-fat, yet delicious option is a Peppermint Hot Chocolate with skim milk. It may be tough, but skip the whipped cream. Don’t waste your calories on something you can’t even chew! And honestly, does the whipped cream make that much of an impact in comparison to the warm, smooth chocolate scurrying down your throat?
After warming up from the rendezvous on ice, take a spin around the neighborhood block. Christmas lights are contagious, and adoring the neighbors display is a sure way to feel inspired. As you’re jamming along to your ultimate Christmas tunes, you will feel happy knowing you made time for a workout while being with your loved ones.
Plus, you had a yummy treat without overdosing on the calories.
Holiday Fitness Tip #2: Walking and Shopping
Nearly everyone makes several trips to the mall this time of year. Walking is often underestimated as a sufficient form of exercise. As long as there is movement, it has got to be better than just sitting on the couch while cramming your mouth full of eggnog and candy canes.
Although daily activity may diminish a bit around the holidays, walking can help combat the weight gain. Choose to walk alone with a portable music player or chat it up with a friend. It doesn’t matter – just get moving!
Braving the cold and bundling up may be worth it if one prefers outside shopping. All the shopping centers are spruced up in holiday flare, fashioning a friendly atmosphere for merry shoppers. Need to warm up? No problem. Just pop into one of the stores and pick up a gift for someone. Multi-tasking is always a plus, especially this time of year when time is of the essence.
Before the snow and ice lather up the ground, take advantage of walking outside. A ten-minute walk here and there will help out in the long run. If you’re stuck at a desk all day, grab a buddy and take some laps around the office. You will get a burst of energy and perhaps take your mind off that piece of chocolate you desire.
Holiday Fitness Tip #3: Indulge a Little – It is the Holidays
It is important to remember to indulge in a holiday goodie from time to time. Deprivation will only hinder the spirit and result in a less enjoyable celebration.
Before all the festivities begin, mark the calendar for dates when splurging is an absolute must. Save up calories for those special times. Not only will the body feel better, but it will be more or less a balancing act. By eating smart throughout the week, available calories can be redeemed on tasty treats.
Also, Be conscious of staying hydrated with plenty of water, as it can help suppress the appetite. Eating nutritious snacks through the day will help stretch the appetite to that anticipated Christmas party.
You always hear people say “get a smaller plate at the party and you won’t be tempted to eat as much.” Haven’t those people every heard of a second helping? With those holiday parties, all people are doing is grazing the food table. But, if you feel empowered to practice extra self control, only fill up the tinier plate and stick with that. I commend you and you should definitely be on Santa’s good list if you are able to do that.
It could also be beneficial to leave the party at a decent hour, allowing the body a sufficient amount of sleep. This also leaves less time to overindulge in excess food and alcohol.
Holiday Fitness Tip #4: Don’t Completely Ignore Your Fitness Routine
If time is available, consider attending fitness classes; whether they are offered through a gym membership or local fitness studio. It is important to be encouraged by fellow classmates.
These new friendships may lend to additional holiday enjoyment. It is common for fitness groups to have holiday socials this time of year. If you have a social network at the gym, you will be more likely to keep up with your daily routine, even when the holiday activities begin to pile up.
Establish a routine now – you’ll be more likely to keep it in a few weeks when you get extra busy. If you fancy a lower impact routine, yet still high intensity, Yoga and Pilates are valuable practices. The benefit of these workouts is that you can practice them at home, in between gift-wrapping sessions.
Continually breaking up the day with a stretching routine will release stress and allow the body to relax and concentrate on muscle toning. Additional stress is often associated with the holidays. Do not let the tension remain bottled up. An outlet for stress is often emotional eating. Eating the stress away will only result in disappointment. Instead of reaching for the dessert each time stress creeps up, simply engage in some stretches to release pressure.
Adding fitness into the holiday routine benefits the mind and body. Not only will the waist line be leaner, but the time spent with family and friends will be more enjoyable. Instead of obsessing about overeating, peace of mind will sink in because the healthy steps have already been implemented to avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain. You will have a jumpstart on your New Year’s resolution for 2010 – way to stay ahead of the game!
I want you all to know I am talking the talk and walking the walk. All these tips I am suggesting are ones I am abiding by as well. The tips in this column has been invaluable to my own heath and fitness awareness over the years.
I have always had the “hitting the gym” bit down. I am continually reminding myself about the nourishment I am providing my body. Taking matters into my own hands, I have become more conscious about what I consume. When bopping around the grocery store, I make it a point to not venture down the cookie aisle. Instead I reach for the delectable honey crisp apples. (You must try them – they’re fabulous).
Feeling healthy is an invaluable feeling. Once I get in the groove of eating healthy, I am reminded how good it feels and that I never want this feeling to leave. I trust we all can relate to this on some level. Let’s remember that feeling as the holidays approach. Certainly don’t deprive yourself, as these holiday goodies only come around once each year, but being proactive over these next few weeks will aid you in the battle of the bulge.
It’s not a bad idea to join forces with a buddy and keep one another accountable. One of my gal pals at work and I are teaming up and serving as one another’s support system. This week has been a success on both our parts. And a little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?
There is no way I am going to stuff my face with Christmas cookies while she is busting her rear at the gym. Remember, there is safety in numbers! Good luck with your jumpstart to fitting fitness into the holidays.
About the Author
Kimberly Westphall is the author of Blogging Fitness and a regular contributor to Midwest Sports Fans. She is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas where she majored in Journalism. She participated in a podcast with Jerod, which will help you get to know her even better.
While at KU, she was an anchor and online web producer for Jayhawk Sports Talk. Kimberly made her MSF debut in 2009 discussing the fight between Kansas’ basketball and football teams and also had her column about the Dallas Stars Ice Girls featured at Dallas Sports Fans.
She has a passion for fitness and is on the lookout for emerging fitness trends and workouts. Her favorite group exercise format is kickboxing, which she discusses in her first Blogging Fitness post today.
When she’s not hitting up the aerobics studio both as a participant and instructor, Kimberly is training for the 2010 Washington D.C. Marathon with her best friend Jackie.
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* – Ice skating photo credit: AskaMum.co.uk
* – Christmas cookies photo credit: FamilyEducation.com
