Most people tend to gain weight over the festive season and will put their fitness routine on the back-burner until January. Staying fit will limit the damage done by excessive eating and drinking. Furthermore, it will make the transition back into the gym in January that much easier. Here is how to stay fit over Christmas:
Stick To A Fitness Routine
When you are very busy, tasks get prioritised and the least important ones often fall off of your list. Going to the gym often gets put on the back-burner when your social life gets hectic. If one of your fitness goals is muscle mass then you don’t want to completely give up strength training. Moreover, lifting weights can also burn just as many calories. Even if you go to the gym just once a week it is better than giving it up all together.
Give Yourself An Energy Boost
The festive season is the busiest time of the year with Christmas parties, socialising with friends and family, and Christmas shopping. All of the celebrations mean lots of food and alcohol will be consumed, and consequently a few hangovers will occur. With high units of alcohol being consumed, a workout is the best way to get rid of over-indulgence guilt. Physical activity releases the production of endorphins, which minimises your stress levels, keeps you happy and productive.
Read more: Keeping up energy levels throughout the day
Eat Before Heading Out
Over-indulging is easily done during the holidays, you pop over to a family members house and suddenly a massive box of biscuits. It can be very difficult to resist the temptation of lots of sweet treats… If you eat something before you head out for Christmas visits then you will be less tempted to eat vast amounts of food. We also recommend never going food shopping whilst you are hungry! Because you will definitely end up with the whole Christmas food aisle in your kitchen. Skipping meals can also be dangerous as you end up hungrier and will eat twice the amount.
Drink Lots of Water
Water may not be at the top of your to-drink list during the holidays. However, if you are overdoing it on the booze front then it is even more important to stay hydrated. Drinking water is essential for maintaining the balance of bodily fluids. These includes digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients and maintenance of body temperature. If you are slightly forgetful, you could put a reminder on your phone to have a glass every hour. The Christmas period can be quite draining and drinking water can help increase energy, relieve fatigue and improve skin complexion.
Avoid Sitting For Long Periods Of Time
Christmas holidays are so busy that when you aren’t running around like a headless chicken, you become a couch potato. Sitting down too much can be dangerous for your health! Particularly because it slows down your metabolism affecting the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. Chief Medical Officers recommend breaking up long periods of sitting time with shorter bouts of activity. If you are sat watching a film, try moving about every now and again to keep active.
Go For A Food Break Walk
There is no avoiding the high quantities of food. However, you can keep fit by taking walking breaks in between courses and help reduce your cravings by doing so. A nice brisk walk around the block will get you breathing in the fresh air, improving your mood and likeliness to over indulge. If the whole family pops out for the walk too, then it will be more enjoyable and festive.
Stay Fit and Try High-Intensity Interval Training
If you are strapped for time, High-Intensity Interval Training will be perfect for getting in your daily workout and will be over before you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. H.I.I.T. gives you a workout that feels twice as hard and increases the benefits of exercising. It raises your heart rate, continues to burn fat long after you have stopped working out and boosts your metabolism. To see what gyms and leisure clubs offer near you, simply pop over to the GymFlex, My Gym Discounts or My Gym Discounts Ireland website and enter your postcode to see what is available.
Read more: 7 Fitness Motivation Tips to Keep You Going
