Fitting fitness into the holidays
Ali Schneider, Special to The Gazette
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
’Tis the season to be jolly. Traditionally, ’tis also the season to put on a few extra pounds.
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, many people choose to put their health on the back burner. “Exercise” time is usually the first time to be surrendered for other tasks such as shopping, baking, decorating, wrapping, partying, etc. Let’s be realistic here; this is not the time of year to try to lose weight. After all, this is the time of year that the average person eats too much, drinks too much and stays out too late.
If you are able to maintain your current weight and fitness level throughout the holiday season, that is a great accomplishment. To accomplish this, you will need to make a conscious effort to fit fitness into your schedule. Keep in mind that the longer you stay away from your workout routine, the harder it will be to get going again and to get back where you were.
Exercise is not only a great way to burn extra calories, but it is also one of the best ways to relieve that excess stress that often comes along with the holiday season. Many people believe that they don’t have the energy to exercise right now so they put it off until the New Year. Truth be told, exercise actually stimulates your body’s endorphins, resulting in you feeling better, relieving stress, and providing you with the extra energy you need for those late nights and long days.
If you have a difficult time fitting your “normal” fitness routine into your day, do something different. Modify your workout routine so that you are still able to fit some exercise into your schedule.
Keep in mind that any exercise is better than none. Just because you can’t find that extra hour in your day to go to the gym, doesn’t mean that you can’t find some time to exercise. Your goal should be to exercise at least 3 days a week, no matter how busy you are. Try some of the following tips to keep you focused on your health in midst of all the excitement:
• Include your loved ones in your attempt to be healthy. Kids will be out of school, parents off work, family in town; don’t spend all your time together stuck indoors. Get your family outside to go for a walk, play a game of football or basketball, play with new toys, etc. Not only will you feel better about yourself, but you can feel good about the fact that your family is staying active.
• Find a different workout that only takes 20 or 30 minutes. Whether it’s a new exercise video at home, a morning walk, a quick lift or a different class, any amount of physical activity is going to be beneficial. Emporia Fitness has just added some classes that are only 30 minutes long. These classes will address strength, stability and agility while getting you in and out quickly. Again, a short workout is better than none!
• When you are shopping, think healthy gifts. I am not suggesting that you give everyone a fruit basket, but think about gifts that encourage physical activity. If you are buying gifts for kids, look for something that requires them to be active rather than sitting in front of a TV or computer. If your kids are active, you are more likely to be active and vice versa.
• If all else fails, there are still exercises that you can do with no equipment right in your living room. Lunges, squats, push-ups and crunches are examples of exercises that you can do at home. Take a few 5-minute breaks throughout the day to get in a few sets of these types of exercises.
This is a wonderful time of year where we get to spend time celebrating with family and friends. As far as fitness goes, there’s a saying, “Not to go back is somewhat to advance.”
This time of year, maintaining your current fitness level just might be the best you can do. That’s great! Make that your goal for now, then set new goals once the holidays are over.
I wish you all a safe and healthy holiday season!
Shape Up, Emporia!, is a weekly fitness and health column aimed at readers of all ages to get off the couch and get into shape. Each week will feature a fitness, health or nutrition professional from around the area who will share some friendly tips on how to improve your overall health. Our goal is
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