While a lot of merry, celebrations and charity Christmas video ecard comes with the Chrismas celebrations, many of us not only tend to digress from our usual diets, but we also tend to gain a few extra pounds. Excessive eating and drinking is undoubtedly the main cause for our additional festive weight gain, but it is also due to lack of physical activity and exercise as we don’t focus on the need to stay fit over Christmas.
Too many of us tend to set aside our fitness routine during the holidays mainly because we believe we can’t fit training into our partying schedule. And it’s because we feel guilty after the holiday season, that most of the gyms and fitness centres are packed with new members.
You should always bear in mind that you can still enjoy the Christmas and New Year break and stay fit at the same time. If you’re not sure how then check out these 12 tips from the fitness instructors at Vitality Health & Fitness.
Tips to Stay Fit Over Christmas
1. Eat Before Going Out
it’s a good idea to eat something before heading out to parties, visits, trips or family dinners. By doing so, you won’t be tempted to eat a lot or overindulge yourself since you have already eaten. Skipping meals is not a good idea either, because you will only be tempted to eat more later.
Select Your Treats
make sure to be selective with your festive treats and don’t overindulge. It’s a good idea to choose something that you can only enjoy exclusively during the holiday season (like mince pies or Christmas pudding) and not something that is readily available all year round.
3. Don’t skip meals
you should always eat breakfast and though it can be tempting, don’t skip meals to make up for the treats you consumed the day before – the results will simply counterproductive.
4. Drink in Moderation
it’s is best to regulate your drinking since alcohol or mixers like coca-cola or lemonade will only add more calories to the ones you already have eaten!
5. Be Active
you should still follow your fitness routine whenever possible and if you can’t do that, simply walk more, park your car some distance away from the shop or just use the stairs!
6. Get Out of The House
Make the holidays a family affair and plan outdoor activities where everyone is involved, like a long walk after a particularly heavy meal for example.
6. Don’t Skip Your Strength Workouts
Always continue to perform your strength training in order to maintain those muscles you worked so hard to get. You might be tempted to use lightweights and just do some cardio, but you can burn just as many calories by lifting weights.
7. Set Realistic Goals
you should set realistic exercise objectives. Aim for at least half an hour per day and you will be very happy when you will achieve that. If you plan one hour or more and don’t achieve it, you will only end up disappointed in yourself.
8. Enjoy Yourself
also make sure to set realistic diet plans! Trying to restrain yourself totally from some foods will only make you want to eat more. Feel free to enjoy the treats that you really love, but in small portions.
9. Drink A Lot of Water
Drinking water can satiate your appetite as well as keep you hydrated at all times. And it will also prevent a possible hangover if you do overdo it with alcohol.
10. Eat Less and More Often
Distribute your meals evenly throughout the day, and don’t eat everything at once. Instead of having two enormous meals, have 5 small ones. Eat your dinner earlier and have a short walk before going to bed.
11. Prioritise Your Workouts
Get your workout over and done with while everyone else is still asleep. This way you will also avoid remarks like “Oh, come on! It’s Christmas…”
12. Vitality
So, there you go, our 12 simple tips that will help you avoid gaining weight during the Christmas holidays, but will also allow you to enjoy yourself and have a great time with your loved ones.
If you don’t want to leave setting a new fitness routine until the New Year, then come on down to Vitality and sign up today (we always have some great offers running for new members). Call on the numbers below to find out more.