Your Guide to Healthy & Happy Holidays
It’s time to end associating the holidays with unhealthy habits and get a head start on your New Year fitness plans. The end of the year signifies celebration – but the celebration does not have to mean gluttony or inactivity. Fend off the “winter weight” by following this simple guide:
Stock Your Kitchen with Healthy Foods
During the holiday season, it seems like sweets are more accessible and abundant. To counteract those neighbors who brought over their famous fudge, balance these foods by buying healthier options for your family to snack on, like fruits. The more convenient the healthy snack, the more likely your family is to eat it. Wash and package fruits and vegetables for a snack that is just as easy to access as any other snack.
Track Your “Unhealthy” Food Intake
In an ideal world, we would all be able to say no to any unhealthy food that may make its way onto the holiday party table. Since reality is less than ideal, use an app to track caloric intake for the day that way you can visualize the number of unhealthy snacks you eat each day versus your daily activity level. Then, you can see how much you consume per day and can adjust accordingly.
Stay Physically Active
While it’s important to be physically active throughout the year, it’s always a little harder to find motivation during the winter season. It’s easier to stay curled up in bed than to put on gym clothes and go out into the cold to exercise. Holiday festivities keep schedules busy, so it’s easy to miss a workout or two. To keep yourself active during the winter without getting bored, try these winter activities to stay fit and fend off “winter weight”:
- Sledding
- Skiing
- Ice skating
- Snow shoveling
- Snowboarding
These are not the only activities though – keep up more traditional forms of exercise by:
- Exercising outdoors (just be sure to bundle up)
- Going to the gym
- Exercising at home
Get Plenty of Rest
With the holiday rush and parties to attend, this time of the year is one of the busiest. Just remember to take some time for yourself and use this time off of school and work to catch up on some must-needed rest. With plenty of rest, you will not only feel better but recuperated and re-energized to start off 2017 on the right foot.