The holiday season is arguably the greatest (yet busiest) time of year! It’s a time of year centred around social interaction and spending quality time with family and friends. It’s all about enjoying each other’s company, exchanging gifts, yummy foods and drinks. But how do you enjoy all these things without overindulging and getting off track of your goals? Well, let me help you enjoy the holidays without jeopardizing your fitness goals. One of the best things to do is to incorporate your new healthy lifestyle into your existing holiday traditions. Balance is key here. Creating too much change (not eating any holiday treats or starting a new exercise program) will likely lead to stress and/or failure. This journey is a marathon not a sprint people.
Here are five tips to help keep you on track with your fitness goals during the holiday season.
Stay hydrated.
Oftentimes when we feel hungry, we may actually just be thirsty. Many of the feelings associated with hunger like a gurgling stomach, low energy levels and lightheadedness are also indicators that you may need to hydrate. Being hungry at holiday parties will often lead to binging on unhealthy snacks and treats. Consuming a few glasses of water before a holiday get together may be what you need to help curb those cravings! A 2015 study from the University of Oxford found that adults who consumed 16 ounces of water before their meals ended up eating fewer calories. And if you need a little motivation here you can pick up this super cute bottle to help you reach your goals.
Try working out in the morning.
The holidays are such a busy time of year. Our schedules are more packed than usual and our usual routines tend to disappear! If you’re a typical sweat-at-night kind of person, now may be the time to embrace the early morning workout! Waking up before your day typically starts will make sure that nothing will get in the way of you and your workout! You might need to give your body a week or two to adjust to the new routine but the feeling of having it done as opposed to stressing about fitting it in or skipping workout after workout will be SO worth it.
Make sure you’re lifting weights.
If you normally focus on steady state cardio, high intensity interval training or body weight exercise try incorporating strength training. Muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in the body, this means that the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn (thus the more food you can eat!). Weight training can give you a little bit of a caloric buffer during the holiday season! It will help your body utilize all those extra cookie calories for building new muscle tissue and recovering faster from your workouts.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Sleep and hormones go hand in hand. When we are chronically sleep deprived, the hormones that manage satiation like ghrelin and leptin go awol and make us feel hungry all the time! Also, sleep deficiency drains the brain of glucose and increases our desire for sweet and salty “comfort” foods. Sleep is also when the body rejuvenates itself, muscles build and repair, and the brain de-stresses! Aim for 7.5-8 hours of sleep a night! There are so many simple things you can do to help you get a good night’s sleep, but the best thing to do is set out a routine that works for you and stick to it.
Incorporate physical activity into your holiday season activities.
You don’t necessarily have to head to the gym to get in a good workout during the holiday season! Get your friends and family involved and go do something fun! Everyone will come back feeling energized and like they accomplished something. Go for a hike in the woods, skiing or snowshoeing, skating or play in the snow with your kids! Who knows you might even create some fond memories that result in a new tradition!
Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year! Don’t spend it stressing over your fitness goals. Instead I hope this list helps take that stress away and allows you to stay on your journey towards a healthy life while enjoying everything that comes with the holiday season. If you’re looking for some ideas on how to stay motivated on your fitness journey check out some tips here.
