Membership Services
Fly Well: Stay active this Holiday season
The holiday season is quickly approaching making it even harder to commit to a dedicated workout plan with shopping, parties and family time. This is typically the time that most people let go of their workout goals when they should be working even harder to keep them up. While losing weight during this time may prove to be difficult with the copious amounts of comfort foods passed under our noses we can work to maintain our current weight and fitness levels. Why throw away all of your hard work for two months when there are fast and simple things that you can do to get you through the holidays.
If you're traveling…
- Search for walking, running or park trails nearby
- Look up information about the hotel you're staying at and find out if they have an exercise room
- If you're staying with family, ask if they have any fitness equipment
- If that's not an option, find a nearby gym and ask if they let guests use their facility
- Talk to your family in advance and suggest taking a walk or doing something active together
Get Prepared
If you're not sure about your schedule or whether you'll even have time to get in a workout, plan for the worst-case scenario. That may be staying in grandma's basement with no equipment and only 10 or 15 minutes to yourself.
- Bring a workout plan with you. Plan a 10-20 minute routine you could do right in your bedroom. For example, you can try this Total Body Circuit
- Bring resistance bands. They travel well and you can use them for quick strength exercises whenever you catch a few minutes.
- If you have a laptop, bring along a workout DVD
- Wear your running or walking shoes as much as you can. You may find a 20-minute window when people are napping or before dinner for a quick walk or run.
- You may even want to invite some family members for a walk. Sometimes there are others who'd love to workout, but they're just waiting for someone else to step up first.
Get Creative
Planning and preparing are nice, but even the best-laid plans get derailed, especially during the holidays.
- Walk as much as possible. Take extra laps at the mall, use the stairs, and volunteer to walk the dog.
- If you're hanging out with kids, set up a game of football, tag or hide and seek.
- Offer to help with the housework, shoveling snow or raking leaves.
- If you don't have equipment, pick up some full water bottles or soup cans for quick lateral raises or overhead presses. Something is always better than nothing.
If you commit to keeping up with exercising during the holidays you’ll be even more excited to make that next New Year’s resolution of continuing to work out and live a healthy lifestyle rather than having to start from scratch!
November 17, 2011
