Staying Fit During the Holidays!

OK, Thanksgiving came and went, and I’m as guilty as everyone else! LOL! I overate and probably gained about 10 lbs. I cooked so much food and had so many leftovers. We ate leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! There is still Christmas or whatever holidays or special occasions you celebrate this time of year.

So, I thought I would offer a few simple tips to help keep the fat off during the remaining holiday season!

Exercise – you must continue to keep up your exercise routine
Try holiday activities that get the whole family (and guests) up and moving or simply busy, and not just sitting around the dinner table, i.e. charades, monopoly, Xbox connect, etc.
Try to avoid emotional eating. For some, the joy of being surrounded by family and friends can cause overindulgence. For others, holidays can be sad and depressing, causing overeating. Be aware of your feelings during this time and be mindful.

Here are some at home and in the gym exercises:

On the road or at home. . .
No equipment or gym required! Do as many reps of each exercise as you can in one minute, moving from one to the next without stopping. Rest 90 seconds, then repeat the circuit a total of three or four times.

1. Jumping Jacks
2. Squat Jumps
3. Side-to-Side Hops: Keeping your knees slightly bent and feet together, imagine you’re jumping back and forth over a line on the floor.
4. Burpees: Squat to place your hands on the ground, jump back into a plank position, and do a pushup. Reverse the move to return to standing, jumping off the ground to finish each rep.

At the gym. . .
Try this interval workout on any cardio machine. To up the effort, increase the incline, resistance, or speed.

0-5 minutes: Warmup (easy effort—you can sing at this pace)

5-7 minutes: Moderate effort (you can carry on a conversation)

7-10 minutes: Hard effort (you can speak a few words at a time)

10-12 minutes: Moderate effort

12-14 minutes: Recovery (easy effort)

14-16 minutes: Very hard effort (you’re huffing and puffing too much to talk)

16-20 minutes: Cooldown (easy effort)

Sources:

http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/weight-gain-holidays-342.html?utm_source=FitWatch+Fitness+Tips&utm_campaign=b94cd84295-Attack_Fat_During_the_Holidays12_3_2012&utm_medium=email

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/holiday-weight-loss