Keeping your health sanity during the holidays.
Photo by Hannah Nicole
So, during the holidays I think we can all agree that it’s nigh impossible to stay fit and health without coming across to your friends, family and co-workers as a pompous, judgmental….something that rhymes with ‘zastard’. Yet, at the same time, we’re compelled to say, “You know what? I’ve worked hard all year. I’m in great health. How about I throw caution to the wind for a few days?”
For some, that question is easily answered with solid habits, smaller portion sizes and continued fitness. For others, that question gets answer by shattered habits that are tough to maintain at best, and it send some into downward spirals not easily overcome.
So, how can we keep our sanity? There are many things that can be done. A variety of nutritional and fitness ideas are at your fingertips to help keep your health at it’s best all the while being festive and jolly with your friends and loved ones AND getting to relax a bit.
Nutrition
- When you go the family grazing line, take a moment to find the smaller plate size if it is offered. Some families use buffet plates and dessert plates. Grab the smaller dessert plate and use that as your portion guide. You’ll feel better knowing that in an hour you won’t feel like you’re about to die if you don’t take a nap.
- Drink your water, people! 10 minutes before you start dinner, take a moment to drink 16oz of refreshing H2O. It’ll help hydrate you (obviously) and it’ll give you body a stronger sense of hunger. Too often our bodies confuse hunger and thirst. This way, you’re more likely to eat for your true hunger. In addition to right before dinner, make sure you’re staying hydrated beyond the daily cups of coffee and tea.
- Enjoy your mother’s famous dish. Whatever it is. Have a little dessert. Enjoy that little pastry. If you fully deprive yourself, you’ll be far more likely to binge like a slingshot than if you simply took a little bit of whatever you may be craving.
- Don’t let guilt guide your actions. The holidays are about family, about celebration, about honoring the holiday’s Reason. Knowing that, celebrate! You know right from wrong and you want to do your best. Stick to your guns. If you fall of the horse, so what? Dust yourself off and climb back up there! You’re stronger than you think, both physically AND mentally.
Fitness (these are borrowed, in part, by Kit Caldicott)
- Take the stairs. Skip the moving walkways in the airport, the escalators and the elevators. When you’re travelling, take the stairs – if you don’t have a ton of packages in your hand or a big suitcase! Not only does it get your heart pumping, but it’s a nice little wake up call that gets you re-energized.
- Take 10 minutes and bang out a few jumping jacks right when you get out of bed or if you’ve been sitting at your desk for hours. As a bonus, follow it up with 5 soothing vinyasas to focus on breath and stretching your body. (collapse and forward fold, let your body hang, rise up to a flat back, collapse again, step back into plank, rise up to upward dog, back to downward dog, step feet to hands and repeat.) Think this is silly? Just try it – you won’t when you get that boost of energy and that rush of endorphines.
- Do a quick UML routine. UML stands for Upper-Middle-Lower. I will try to do at least five rounds of this routine. For example, 15 push-ups (upper), 25 crunches (middle), and 30 deep squats (lower). Come up with a bunch of different upper, middle and lower exercises and repeat for four more rounds. Do as many rounds and reps as you have time for. (This is my personal favorite. I take a resistance band with me on vacations and do something like this every morning.)
- Take the dog on a brisk walk or jog. If you’ve got a dog, go walk it! Here’s the thing—because it’s so cold, pick up the pace a little and afterward you’ll be so glad you got out into the fresh air.
- Tony Horton’s 10-minute trainer. If you don’t have it, I highly recommend it. These routines are amazing go-to workouts on the crazy days. They are terrific heart pumping, strengthening and stretching routines in just 10 minutes. (go to www.beachbodycoach.com/graveidea to order)
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