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Exercise Tip of the Month
Stay Fit During the Holidays
The holidays are a time to celebrate, and boy, do we make the most of
it. We eat, we drink, we indulge and then we end up feeling like bloated
whales by the time it's all over. It's almost an unspoken rule that, with
the holidays, comes unlimited eating and incomplete workouts, but this year,
you have a choice.
You don't have to let every party become your own
personal eating contest, and you don't have to let shopping take the place
of your usual exercise routine. All it takes is flexibility, creativity and
a new way of defining exercise.
Keep moving! It's tempting to ditch
your workouts as your days fill up with holiday preparations, parties and
errands, but now more than ever, you need to stay active. Exercise will help
you deal with added stress and give you energy for everything you need to
accomplish. It will also help you manage your weight through the maze of
parties and gatherings you'll be attending. If you have trouble sticking
with your usual routine this time of year, come up with a new one. Forget
the rules, lower your standards and do whatever you need to do to keep
moving:
- Shorten Your Cardio. Pare down your cardio routine to whatever time
you have, even if it's only 5 or 10 minutes. Choose activities that are
easy to do at a moment's notice: walking, running, jump roping or
cycling. Get the most out of the time you have by working at a high
intensity.
- Exercise wherever you can. You already know to take the stairs, park
far away and so on to get more exercise. This holiday season, wear a
pedometer as you're running around, and see how many steps you can
accumulate. Use every opportunity to get in more movement, whether it's
parking on the opposite side of where you need to be or chopping down
your own Christmas tree.
- Make it a family affair. As you gather together with your family,
plan active things to do. Walk around the neighborhood to look at
holiday decorations. Play football before the big meal at Thanksgiving
or Christmas. Plan contests with the kids to see who can run the
farthest or who can do the most push-ups. Challenge everyone to a
snow-shoveling contest, and then build a snow person out of the remains.
- Don't forget strength training. Maintain your muscle mass by paring
down your routine to the basics. Choose compound, multi-joint movements
to make sure you're getting the most out of your time. This new
strength-training workout is a great place to start. It involves a
variety of compound moves that target the large muscles of the body with
plenty of core work thrown in as well.
Source: Paige Waehner, About.com Guide
About.com
Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review
Board
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