Filipe Alvares
Holiday is a time when physical activity often takes a back seat, and when it is a combination of festivity and holidays, the damage done to one’s health can be tremendous. Merriment often means eating and drinking with gay abandon compounded by skipped workouts – often for as long as two weeks! When the New Year then rolls in, sadness descends as clothes become tighter and the weighing scale looks back disapprovingly. Keeping fit during the end of year celebrations requires a little more effort, and if you get yourself down to doing just that, you’ll have a few more reasons to smile when 2019 rolls in!
A few tips I have for you this Christmas season are the ones I have been following for last 6 years, and they have held me strong every single year, unfailingly!
Prioritize your workout:
Hit the gym or get down to some physical activity before your household has woken up. That way you won’t have to hear the rest of the family groan …. “Oh come on! Its Christmas time! Stay at home!”
Drink a lot of water:
That will prevent you from eating too much, and also keep away the possible hangover that does not permit you to get to the gym.
Do not skip your strength workouts:
If you have limited gym time, replace the cardio with lifting weights. This will help maintain muscle mass and keep your metabolism high, helping burn all the extra calories you may have consumed.
Quality over quantity:
Ask your trainer to design an effective 20-30 minute workout as opposed to the usual 60 minutes you spend at the gym. That way you have time on hand to do other festival-related activities too, and there is no reason to skip your workout.
Change your mindset:
Dismiss the “all or nothing” theory, and make se of the 10 minutes you have on hand to do some calorie-burning exercises. And finally, indulge for a day or two, not the whole season! Choose portions and foods wisely, and don’t slip permanently because of a single day’s error. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
