Nikki Boswell, Nutritionist for the December 28 Day Challenge has provided her top tips to ensuring you can still keep on top of your exercise goals even when the busy party and festive season takes over:
It might be the holiday season, but it’s not time to put your feet up and forget about your health goals.
It can be tough to find time to stay committed to your exercise plan with a hectic festive schedule, but as always preparation and planning is key to staying on track:
- Keep your routine: Be it gym classes, your usual morning walk or workout, don’t miss it! If an event clashes with your exercise plans be sure to reschedule the session and not skip it completely.
- Plan exercise sessions in the morning: Get them done and dusted early in the day and avoid having a last minute event clash with your exercise plans.
- Make yourself accountable: As always the key to long term success is accountability. Plan to meet a friend at the gym or out for a walk so that you keep the commitment to your friend as well as yourself. Tell you trainer to expect you at the next class/next session – you know if you don’t keep your word your trainer will work you twice as hard or have a gruelling punishment installed.
- Make your exercise schedule public: Plan your workouts a week or 2 in advance, keeping in mind anything else happening that week. Make sure that your partner and kids are aware of your plans, and understand how important they are. This will help avoid any conflicting schedules, help keep you accountable and make it easier to plan ‘make up’ sessions if you do happen to miss a workout.
- Make the most of extra sunlight and warm weather: With the sun up earlier and going to bed a little later you have extra hours of daylight to fit in a walk, run or outdoor exercise session. Make the most of the extra day light and head out for a twilight game of tennis or bike ride.
- Keep on top of all your commitments: Don’t wait until the last minute to do the shopping, cooking, finding an outfit, getting your hair done or whatever else it is that you need to do. This will help you keep to your exercise commitments and help reduce the stress that comes with the holiday season (which is all to often used as an excuse not to workout).
- Don’t stay up too late or drink too much: Let’s be real; after a late night and a few wines the chances of you getting out of bed to hit the gym are pretty low. Hit the hay as early as you can, moderate your alcohol intake (try some of the no alcohol and low alcohol options from the Healthy Summer Body Guide as part of the December Challenge) and be sure to drink water in between each drink.
- Don’t let the kids have all the fun: Opportunities for incidental exercise are in abundance during the holiday season, so get out there and play, swim, bike ride, slip ‘n’ slide. Finding ways to have fun while exercising is key to keeping motivation levels high.
- Avoid over eating: Hitting the Christmas buffet too hard will leave you feeling bloated, sluggish and sleepy – and the odds are you won’t keep your workout commitment. Enjoy the festive feasts in moderation.