Escape the Holiday Bulge
by Carrie Myers
Want to avoid holiday weight gain this year? Here are a few tips that will get you moving more, eating healthier, getting more rest, and creating more holiday harmony.
Go shopping rather than sit and shop online. You can rack up a lot of extra steps—and support our local businesses!
Cook. You burn more calories by cooking and cleaning your mess up afterward. Cooking for yourself also puts you in control of what goes into your food and how it’s prepared.
Chop down your own tree. Hiking into a tree farm to find that perfect fir, chopping it down, and hauling it out, will burn lots of calories all while getting your heart and muscles pumping.
Give your home a good holiday cleaning. Crank your favorite holiday tunes and go at it with zest! You’ll burn more calories—and get it over with more quickly, leaving more time for the festivities.
Walk. Rather than hitting the couch after your holiday meal, hit the pavement. Or how about organizing a neighborhood football game? Make physical activity a part of your holiday traditions!
Size matters. According to a Cornell University study, when moviegoers were served stale popcorn in big buckets, they ate 34 percent more than those given the same stale popcorn in medium-sized containers. Another study showed that making simple changes, such as using salad plates rather than dinner plates, keeping unhealthy foods out of sight, and not eating in front of the television resulted in people losing two pounds a month.
Condense your workouts. While it’s tempting to skip exercise during this busy time of year, you can shorten your workouts by kicking up the intensity. Or try alternating bursts of cardio with one or two strength training exercises. Boom…done!
Go shopping rather than sit and shop online. You can rack up a lot of extra steps—and support our local businesses!