5 Tips for Staying Fit This Festive Season
Who thinks of exercise come the festive season? Tis after all, the time for festive goodies, not to mention tables laden with plenty of food, consumed in a merry and happy environment with lots of family around! Holidays after all, are the time to let loose and relax surely?
On the contrary, there’s nothing like a break in your routine to throw not just your fitness off, but with a break in your regular exercise routine, you could find that after the festive season, getting back your exercise zeal is an uphill battle. Not just that, but stopping your exercise routine for a even a short period (referred to as ‘detraining’ by professional athletes) can result in some loss of your fitness and strength – a major pain considering how hard you worked to get fit!
Obviously hitting the gym at the height of the festive season, or when you should be spending time with your family is not always an option, especially if celebrating the festivities means making a commute back to your home town. So how do you stay fit during this time of much eating and merriment? Try out our 5 Tips for Staying Fit:
Tip #1: Preparation is Everything
Cooks go to the market early and get all their supplies before the festive rush. Film producers scout their locations for the best view. Come this festive season, check out the location where you’ll be spending the holidays and then find an appropriate activity to stay active. If there’s no gym, find out if there’s a park or trail around for a brisk walk or a pool you can swim in. Keeping to your exercise routine could be as simple as packing in those running shoes to pound the pavement, packing in the swimsuit or just rolling in your yoga mat with the rest of the family’s luggage.
Tip #2: Exercise Together!
If the festive season means being with family, why not exercise together? There’s nothing like a stroll in the park or a visit to the pool to bond with relatives and squeeze in a little quality time together. Alternatively, look to find an exercise buddy over the festive season – having someone to exercise with is likely to motivate you to exercise regularly and consistently.
Tip #3: Change the Routine
In fitness parlance, it’s known as cross-training. If at the gym, you regularly lift weights and run on the treadmill, then give yourself a break and regain your enthusiasm for your usual routine with a little break out. Walk in a park instead of running the treadmill, bike some forest trails or play some racquet sports. What cross training helps to do is break the boredom of your previous routine without reducing the exercise level and with the break, you’ll find you return to your original routine feeling refreshed and up to a new challenge!
Tip #4: Watch the Calories
Of course, you don’t have to totally abstain but just keep an eye on the portions. If you’ve recently lost some weight successfully through good old fashioned exercise, don’t let it all go to waste by over-eating at the Hari Raya/Christmas table. Here are a few tips to keeping the calories in check:
drink small quantities of alcohol only since alcohol packs on plenty of calories but no nutritional benefits
fill up on fruits and salads so you won’t eat so much of the fattening goodies
eat the foods you like, just trim the portions to half or 1/4.
Tip #5: Be Consistent, Be Realistic
A moderate 15 minute walk every day is better than 4 days without exercise and an hour running round the park, according to exercise experts. The key is to be consistent in exercising regularly. Finally, take heart in the knowledge that exercise is a great way to get rid of any pent up angst and stress that might build up during the festive season as a result of too many chores (or too much closeness to family!) All it takes for bygones to be bygones is maybe a game of badminton with the family or a brisk stroll around the lake!