The holiday season is here, it’s the time for family gatherings, and holiday parties. This means a long list of delicious foods that may not be healthy for your body. During the holidays people forget their day to day routines of working out and maintaining a well-balanced diet. “Studies show that the average American gains 1 to 2 pounds during the holiday season. And, those extra pounds tend to become permanent baggage.”3 This leaves you feeling sluggish, miserable and regretting everything that you ate during the holidays.
There are a few ways to prevent over indulging in the holiday foods and sticking to regular exercise. First, when traveling for the holidays make sure to pack running shoes and clothing. This will keep you from making excuses about not having proper attire to able to workout. Next, make a schedule of the gatherings and parties that you will be attending, and write times on those days to go for walks and workouts. Make your workouts short, this will motivate you to push yourself to have an intense workout. “In the one or two hours after intense exercise, our bodies are more sensitive to the hormone insulin, which helps transport sugars to our depleted muscles. All those precious carbohydrates found in starchy holiday dishes like mashed potatoes, or sugars found in cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie are excellent for glycogen replenishment. And the protein you'll get from that holiday turkey meal will help repair damaged tissue.”2 To keep yourself accountable get a workout buddy. “Exercising is a great way to stay active while having fun and enjoying the company of loved ones at the same time”1
Walking is a great way to work off those holiday dinner calories. After you are stuffed take a walk around the block with a family member or pet. While shopping for gifts, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator this will give you a little exercise while doing your shopping.
These are just a few ways to not feel guilty about diving into those yummy holiday meals and goodies. Happy Holidays!!
References:
1Haupert, T. (2012, December 19). 5 Ways to Stay Motivated During the Holidays. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://news.health.com/2012/12/19/holiday-fitness-motivation/
2Mueller, K. (n.d.). 10 Strategies to Prevent the Holiday Bulge. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/10-strategies-to-prevent-the-holiday-bulge
3Zelman, K. (n.d.). Healthy Holiday Food and Diet Tips from WebMD. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/holiday-foods-diet
I like the points you make about staying active during the holiday seasons and allowing the protein intake you get from it to benefit yourself and not let the calorie count work against you. From personal experience a group of us would run a few miles each morning during spring break which made us feel a little less guilty about what we were doing throughout the day!
ReplyDeleteI like how this article says that just because its the holiday season doesn't mean its okay to put your bodies health at risk. Packing your tennis shoes in your back if your holiday plans include going out of town is a very good idea to gee yourself a reminder that you do need to work out. I like how this article includes what nutrients are in which thanksgiving foods also.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading this article because with the facts it gives about the weight gain during the holiday season it gives motivation to be sure and get workouts in during that time. It discusses to bring workout clothes with you where ever you go and I like that because it shows that no matter where you are or what you are doing, you can find ways to get some daily activity in. There should be no excuses for missing a workout and this article does a great job of motivating you to not skip a day.
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DeleteI can definitely relate to this article, I only wish I had read it before the Thanksgiving holiday. I feel bad for slacking but It gets hectic with family and friends all over the place. This article has some great ideas that i will try to utilize in the future.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely be using these tips for Christmas break! I know I will be enjoying my home-cooked meals but I will make sure they are healthy and in good moderations. Also I plan on posting notes around my apartment so that I don't forget my running shoes because that has happened before!
ReplyDeleteI like this article one because i really relates to me in other ways some readings do not. this article also breaks the excuses we give on why we cant get a work out in when we go out of town for the holidays. i know i have done so multiple times but i think from now on i wont make any more excuses on why i cant go work out.
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ReplyDeleteDuring the holidays, excuses are easier to find than ever, with family being around and not having to work. It all comes down to the kind of mindset you cart=y.
ReplyDeleteBeing a fitness junkie although I can relate to this article. I do tend to get very lazy on holidays. I like how they stress over the excuses to not workout on holidays. They give tips on how to overcome those obsticles by bringing workout attire with you and to plan a jog or something along those lines before a family event. Very helpful information.
ReplyDeleteI really like how this article gives numerous ways for the average joe to work off their holiday meals, and it gives easy to follow instructions and very reasonable goals you can acheive. You can do all of this stuff at your house, and you don't even have to leave your neighborhood in order to accomplish these tasks
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this article because I do find myself looking for excuses during the holidays but if I bring clothes and shoes what could my excuse be? nothing at all, I just wish I had found this sooner.
ReplyDeleteThis is an important article to keep in mind over the holidays. So many people overindulge and then regret it afterwards. Don't let the holidays be an excuse to throw away everything you have worked hard to accomplish!
ReplyDeleteI love eating when it comes to the holidays. But I always make sure that I am in the gym or getting active after I eat. Because like you said the average American gains about 1 to 2 pounds during the holidays. But yes, these tips will help people get active on there Holiday Break.
ReplyDeleteI have a big family and I eat way to much during the holidays and honestly don't know how I don't gain nay weight at all. And when I do going a pound or two I lose it the next day just because im so active. So during the holidays I try now to worry about that stuff.
DeleteI love to eat and when it comes to the holidays I tend to over indulge myself with food and cookies and don't really think about how I will feel after I do or the weight I will put on. This article gives several different ways on how I and any person really can keep the extra weight off during the Holidays. Defiantly going to do this over break!
ReplyDeleteThis article is very informative with all the information about the replenishment of glycogen and the protein to help the damaged muscle, these are thing that normally I wouldn't have considered when I was loading my plate. Now seeing that its time to head home for the holidays again I feel confident I can do my coaches workout and see gains from it and spread the word with my family.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! Ill be using these tips to try and keep my pants from bursting off from all those carbs! I will definitely be sharing this with my mom.
ReplyDeleteWhen I go home I have planned on walking the trail. Although I will eat as much as I want, I will also train and stay in shape.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article. The holiday season is by far the highest point of the year where weight gain occurs. People do not really balance out the eating and working out around the holiday season. This article gives good points on how you should and why you should. It makes you aware of rapid weight gain at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI like how it informed me about not being as focused on workouts while on break so this will definitely help me remember to go workout with my friends or even make it a reason to hang out with family I haven't seen in a while.
ReplyDeleteThis article definitely shows the need to do something even its it small over the holidays. I certainly will regret all the food I will eat over the break and hopefully wont keep to much of it with me.
ReplyDeleteI was very informed, and now I can inform my family as well
ReplyDeleteSo true those holiday food are hard to resist but worth the resistance. my grandmother always calls he grandchildren and ask what we would like for the holidays so we all end up have our favorites side dishes with the amazing diner she cooks. looks like the next family gathering i will be watching what i request and put on my plate.
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