7 Proven Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy During the Holidays
Enlist a Buddy • Keep a Food Journal • Remember Liquid Calories! • Plan Ahead • Download an App • More ...
The holidays are a hard time to stay fit, but there are plenty of ways to maintain your health during the festive season. Between the endless trays of sugar cookies and the constant flow of holiday parties, it’s easy to let your fitness goals slide. To stay on track between the merry gatherings and New Year's celebrations, follow these helpful hints on ways to stay fit during the holidays!
Staying active doesn't have to be a chore. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- Don't skip meals before a big party to avoid overindulging.
- Prioritize sleep to keep your energy levels high and your metabolism steady.
1. Enlist a Buddy
It's true, there is strength in numbers! Make your commitment to staying fit with a friend. By being each other's personal cheerleaders and scheduling workouts together, you are more likely to honor your fitness commitments and stay on track to success throughout the season.
2. Keep a Food Journal
Writing down each and every thing you eat may sound silly, but it's a great way to monitor what you're consuming and an even better way to detect if you are overeating. While overindulging a little bit during the holidays is okay (we get it, there's so much delicious food!), this makes it easy to see when you are overdoing it. Tools like MyFitnessPal can be incredibly helpful for tracking your daily intake.
3. Remember Liquid Calories!
Just because your Candy Cane Martini doesn't have a nutrition label on it doesn't mean it's not jam-packed full of calories. Holiday parties are notorious for yummy cocktails and flowing champagne flutes, and too often we forget they can be just as fattening as a cookie platter. Limit yourself to just one or two: this is a key thing to remember in order to stay fit during the holidays!
| Holiday Treat | Estimated Calories | Healthier Alternative | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Eggnog (1 cup) | 340 | Spiced Apple Cider | | Sugar Cookie | 150 | Oatmeal Raisin Cookie | | Mixed Nuts (1 oz) | 170 | Roasted Chickpeas |4. Plan Ahead
In order to stay fit during the holidays, planning ahead is required. Schedules become full of holiday parties, visiting family and friends, shopping for gifts and more; so it is important to set time aside to work out. Make a plan that works with your holiday schedule, commit to it, and then stick to it! If you plan ahead, the excuse, "I don't have time" will be null!
5. Download an App
There are tons of fitness apps out there for your iPhone, Android, or iPad that can help you monitor and track your workout progress. From Adidas Running (formerly Runtastic) to Nexercise or All in Yoga, you can find the option that is right for you to stay motivated.
6. Find Workouts You Can Do from Home
You may not have time to get to the gym this holiday season, so why not bring the gym to you? Find workouts you are able to complete from home (or if you are traveling, your relative's home!) so you can fit in workouts between baking and wrapping sessions. Whether you have your own routine or want to explore expert-led sessions on Fitness Blender on YouTube, this is a great way to stay fit during the holidays!
7. Make It a Family Event!
You know what they say: the more the merrier! So why not enlist your family as buddies and plan a family football game, snowball fight, or 5k to keep everyone on your Christmas list fit this holiday season? Not only will you get some healthy exercise, you'll also create memories that will last a lifetime!
Keeping your calorie count in check and staying motivated to work out during the holiday season is always tough, but with these simple steps, you can stay on track. By following these ways to stay fit this holiday season, you'll be able to enjoy tasty treats while keeping your waistline in check!