Tips to stay healthy over the Holidays
One of the most exciting and joyful times of the year is the holiday and festive period. We all know how much fun and togetherness is brought from friends and family over this time of the year. From dinner on Thanksgiving with your family to counting down the seconds till the New Year with great friends. Over this period there are plenty of things that can pull you from the healthy habits that you have been loyal to all year.
Here are some tips to help you stay true to your healthy lifestyle while still enjoying all of the festivities.
Maintain a Good Exercise Routine: Over the year, you have seen the value that a great exercise routine has provided you, do not let that slip as you move into the festive period. Try to keep it as regular as possible, but with travel and family around, it can be hard to maintain some sort of exercise so, for example, taking a walk after dinner or some light cardio in the morning would be extremely beneficial. One thing that I have found very helpful is inviting a family member or friend to workout with me. I find it is a great way to get to know someone better and build a little bit more of a personal relationship with them.
Meal and Snack Planning: Throughout the Holidays, planning out what and when you are going to eat will help you keep your body in check and in a healthy state for the next day. Planning what and when to eat can be as simple as thinking about what you are doing in the evening and planning your morning and afternoon to give your body the best chance to feel in tip-top shape. Personally, if I know that I will be having a larger meal in the evening with possibly some beers or wine before or after, I will have a good healthy breakfast and a light healthy lunch. This way, I have already given my body all the nutrients it needs for the day and I can be a little more on the loose side when it comes to dinner. Tricks like eating a piece of dark chocolate to avoid over indulging in dessert can help to skip the extra calories after a heavy dinner.
Staying Warm: I know this may sound silly, but over this period of time it is essential to stay warm. During the festive period, it can be very hard to recover from a cold or some kind of sickness that you have picked up, so the best thing to do is to avoid picking them up altogether. Lots of drinking and eating can lead to a compromised immune system, so be kind to your body to keep it warm. Being smart and wearing a jacket even if you are “only outside for just a sec” will help to avoid these issues.
Sleep More: Over the holiday period, it is a great time to take advantage of any time off from work you may have by catching up on the sleep you have missed out on over the year. The body loves to sleep and recovery, so like I said before, be kind and give your body what it wants and needs. If you find yourself with an hour here or there to spare, think about getting some shut eye to help your body rebound from this active time of the year.
At the end of the day it is important to be healthy year round in order to stay healthy during the festivities, so keep up the good work and enjoy the holiday.
Stephen Duff
stephen@phoenixacoaching.com
Merry Christmas from us all here at PAC.