Want to Stay Fit This Holiday Season?
It’s easy to approach December with the best of intentions – hit the gym as usual, ignore the pile of holiday gift baskets in the office kitchen, and stick to soda water at social gatherings. But as the parties get going, and the shopping gets more frenzied, hitting the snooze button, or reaching for ‘just one’ of those Christmas cookies seems to be a hell of a lot more desirable.
It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach – staying fit during the holidays takes nothing more than a little planning, and a shift in mindset.
1. Don’t ‘write off’ the Christmas season
It’s too easy to use ‘poor weather,’ ‘shopping season’, ‘Christmas parties’ and ‘no time’ as justification for skipping a workout. Instead, schedule workouts as you would parties and other social events. Seeing them in your calendar will help keep you accountable. Feeling crunched for time? A quick HIIT workout can obliterate calories and keep your metabolism fired all day.
2. Join a group
It’s a totally different ball game when you’re at a function and you know 4-5 people are waiting to walk / run / bike with you the next day. A group provides just enough accountability to keep you on track during distracting times.
3. Combine your fitness with family
Remember Christmas in the old days?
Toboggans, walks & outdoors skating.
Too often we think of fitness as hitting the gym, or pounding the pavement. All movement is good for the body so hold off on the X-Box until the end of the day and get everyone active!
4. Cut yourself some slack
A few too many cookies, or a few skipped workouts don’t spell disaster. This is a busy time of year, and as the old saying goes s%$t happens. Don’t let this create a negative mentality that has you putting your health on the backburner ‘til January.
5. Have an action plan
Yes, sweets and treats are abundant this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you have to have an iron will to stay on track. Satiate your sweet tooth (and your hunger) with a delicious smoothie, or try #teamreflex Alicia Chiesa’s recipe for a protein packed mug cake.
Make sure to keep lots of quick healthy snacks in your fridge, or in your bag to grab if you are feeling the urge to overindulge. We love Quest protein bars, hard boiled eggs, sprouted crackers and hummus, coconut mana, or Buff Baked nut butters.
The holidays are meant to be a time for celebrating and relaxing. With so much going on they are over in an instant – enjoy, move, have some fun, and if you need some expert advice for your healthiest holiday season come visit us at your nearest Reflex Supplements location, or hit us up on social. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We are #ReflexNation.
