With the December here, everyone is preparing for the busy, stressful, and energy sucking days that assists this “Jolly Season”. In fact most people who have worked hard with their exercise routine throughout the past couple months tend to slowly drift away and start to reclaim their old habits and lifestyles.
Now if you ask me, if I worked hard for something I really wanted I wouldn’t let a simple holiday destroy my fitness goals and shatter my dream body into a gazillion pieces. You must realize that weight loss is a combination of consistency and discipline. If you fail to continue your healthy lifestyle during the winter holidays I guarantee you’ll pack on the pounds faster than Santa Clause himself!
I guess after reading the above you probably think I’m nuts and that I don’t know that the holidays is a fun time for families to get together, laugh, sing, play and of course…EAT!
Let me tell you that I like all those things too, especially the eating part! But of course, being individuals who want to take care of our bodies we must not overindulge and sacrifice our healthy efforts, because when January comes and you step onto that scale you will regret it.
To help you stay on the path to fitness success I’ve compiled 5 of my greatest winter tips that you can put into action…TODAY!
1. SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS
Don’t put that day planner down just yet. Scheduling your own workouts and writing it down will make you feel like you have to do it. If you wrote down an appointment to see one of your clients, would you cancel last minute? Your answer better be no! Have that same mentality with your own exercise sessions, don’t cancel last minute and plus, you’re doing it for YOU.
2. YOU CAN’T REMEMBER EVERYTHING
Make breakfast, do the laundry, wrap gifts, buy greeting cards, need more scotch tape, go to the cleaners, make lunch, buy more gifts, mail out greeting cards, call your mother…
HOLY MOLY!
With the holidays, there are a lot of things that must get done. Please and I’m on my knees begging you, don’t use your head as an organizer, you’re just setting yourself up for the BIGGEST anxiety attack ever. The solution to this problem though is quite simple…you ready for it?……..WRITE – IT – DOWN
Yep, you heard me right – write it down. Before you start your day grab a pen and a piece of paper. Write down all the errands and chores you have to do. Once you finish something cross it out. The feeling of crossing something off the list will give you a sense of relief and accomplishment. Give it a try.
3. MALLATHON
What’s a “Mallathon”?
Let me explain something to you for a second. People + Holiday’s = Shopping. Many people love to shop. I know when I go to the mall with my girlfriend; her definition of shopping is way different from my definition. I get want I want and then leave. She gets what she wants and stays…for hours! It’s funny how she gets tired running on the treadmill for 3 minutes but has no problem walking for 3 hours in the mall…go figure!
However some good does come out of this situation. Walking around the mall, carrying all those bags can help you burn some extra calories. If you wanted a little something extra you could pick up the pace and walk as if you had somewhere to go. How’s that for a cardio workout?
4. DON’T STARVE YOURSELF
It’s no surprise that during the holidays you get very busy. With all the things occupying your mind, you sometimes lose track of how hungry you really are. The secret here is to not get to a point where you’re starving.
If you find yourself in this situation you will tend not to care about what you eat (because you’re so hungry). The first thing you see may be a fast food restaurant which foods are mainly processed and packed with thousands of calories. Avoid this at all costs.
Bring healthy snacks, like fruits, vegetables or nuts if you know you’re going to be on the road for a while. You can also manage your time so you’re home for a healthy home cooked meal.
5. REST, RECOVER, & RE-ENERGIZE
This is probably the most important tip. Plan at the end of each day to take some time for your self. This will help calm you down and give you a sense of peace. Whether it’s engaging in some breathing exercises, reading a book, light stretching, listening to soft music or watching T.V while sipping a cup of warm apple cider, taking the time to shut down, relax and re-energize will help keep your stress levels at a minimum.
There you go 5 holiday tips that will help you maintain your fitness and give you a running start into the New Year! Remember the winter holidays only come once a year so sit back relax a little, catch up with family and friends, and eat the foods you enjoy. Because if you can’t do any of them, what’s the point of calling it a holiday?
Excellent, thanks!