Manage Your Nutrition and Fitness Expectations During the Holidays
With the holiday season in full swing, you may find yourself stressed over your fitness and eating habits. Family gatherings, big meals and leftovers, and drinking more alcohol than usual is common. Gyms are closed more, making consistency tough. For anyone wanting to lose or even just maintain weight, the holidays can challenge your routine. It’s a perfect storm that stalls even those most focused and consistent. How can you stay focused and not lose what you have worked so hard to achieve? Manage your expectations.
Nutritional expectations. If your diet is aggressive, you may have to slow it down a bit. If your main effort is fat loss, switch to maintaining weight. Making it through the holidays without gaining body fat is a rough task for most. So instead of fighting it, realign your goal posts for a while. Limit overeating, drinking excessive alcohol, and avoid inactivity. By using moderation and self-restraint, there is a very high likelihood that you will accomplish your adjusted goals.
Fitness expectations. Research has shown that five 10-minute bouts of exercise are as effective as one 50-minute bout—a game changer when gyms reduce hours. Break your workouts into smaller segments around family gatherings or holiday events. Anything is always better than nothing. If the gym is closed, there are solutions.
Remember COVID? It proved that workouts outside of the gym are possible. If you have weight equipment at home, you have the perfect workout opportunity. If you don’t, your own body weight can be effective. YouTube has plenty of useful at-home workouts both with and without weights. Check out the video links at the bottom of this blog. ViaroFit’s personal trainers, Ashley Wenger and Eli Smith put together some great at-home workouts for you.
Simply maintaining a high step count throughout the holidays is another solution that will fight the challenges you meet. Split up your steps during a particularly busy day. Go solo or bring family and friends with you. It doesn’t have to be difficult.
Plan ahead. Plan ahead for your holiday season's hectic schedule and adjust your expectations. Enjoy your days off and family time while working to stay focused on the things you can control. Come out the other end feeling successful and rewarded, rather than defeated. Remember, your health is not a hobby. It’s forever and deserves your attention.
Colby Bruton, BS, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
Manager, ViaroFit
For questions or comments, contact wellness@viarohealth.com
