It’s the most wonderful time of the year: a time for friends, family, food, and overindulgence. It’s also a time when we deviate from our regular schedule and abandon healthy habits. It boils down to your level of preparedness and will to stay on track- if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. With that said, let’s skirt through our top 5 tips for how to keep fit and healthy during the holiday season.
Have a plan for your workout and diet
The holiday is season is very busy and full of surprises. Think about what kind of week you will have and schedule your workouts accordingly. To avoid missing your workouts altogether, and being distracted by parties and family obligations, get your workout done in the morning.
Also, your workout doesn’t have to be lengthy or at the gym. If you’re pressed for time, still squeeze in a ten-minute full-body workout. You’ll feel better after, I promise. Get creative with your workouts by parking further away from where you going, wearing comfortable shoes, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Some exercise is better than none at all.
If you have guests at home for the holidays, take them to the gym with you. Staying motivated can be challenging but having friends and family involved can make your fitness journey a lot more attainable.
And the DIET
Plan ahead! Have healthy and ready-to-eat food available to eat. That way you don’t go hours without food when busy. On the other hand, if you plan on attending an event, have something solid to eat prior to. That way, you can better manage what you eat and avoid overeating treats and making poor food decisions.
Hydrate
The holidays can sabotage your best weight control efforts but a simple act of drinking a glass of water before a calorie-rich meal could make a difference. Sometimes the brain could trick us into thinking that we’re hungry but it may really be just thirst. If you’ve increased your alcohol intake, even more reason to drink lots of water. More alcohol in your system could possibly cause dry skin and even constipation. Keeping up your water intake can mitigate that.
Get enough sleep!
If you normally get little sleep or poor-quality sleep, make sleep a priority over the holidays. Be deliberate about it as you may attempt to be busier than usual. Whatever you do, don’t sacrifice sleep.
Avoid early morning flights or activities in general. Try sleeping in and going to bed early. Naps are great too! If you need help with sleeping you can:
- Trying sleeping with an eye mask
- Stay away from watching screens at least one hour before bedtime
- Install blackout curtains to achieve a pitch-black room
- Block any light source with tape because light affects sleep
A treat is a treat
A big part of the holidays is all the treats, drinks, parties, and leftovers. One day of indulgence will not derail your entire healthy lifestyle, but be careful not to make a day of treats and overeating turn into an entire month. What you don’t want is for the short season of indulgence to turn into a lifestyle even long after the holidays are over.
Set Goals and PLAN
You know yourself better than anyone else. If you know that previous holiday seasons have negatively impacted your waistline or your healthy habits, set goals for yourself. Make a plan, set targets, track your progress, and reward yourself accordingly. Fitness trackers are widely available and make it easier than ever to keep track of your progress.
We wish you safe, enjoyable, restful, and happy holidays. Remain true to yourself and your goals and keep aspiring to be a better version of yourself!
Yours in Fitness
The team at Fusion Fitness
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