Have a Healthy Holiday!

used with Permission by Leigh Carter
www.TeamConquerIt.weebly.com

Don’t you just love this time of year? The chill in the air, parties and get-togethers, celebrating what God has done, giving Him thanks, and eating amazing food – for two straight months. Ha. If you’re like most people around the holidays, you find it difficult to say no to all the delicious, homemade goodies and say yes to working out. I know it’s not easy to add in a workout during such a busy season, but if you do make time – even just 20 minutes 4 days/week, I bet you’ll find that you have more energy, stay healthy, and that you won’t gain the typical holiday weight.

Here are some tips for how to enjoy the season and stay fit and healthy:

• Eat smaller portions more frequently: Instead of 1-2 large meals, eat 4-5 small snacks. On Thanksgiving, serve yourself 1-2 small spoonfuls (measure with a tablespoon) of what you want to try, instead of large serving spoons of each dish.

• Drink plenty of water: Always have water nearby to sip on throughout the day and drink with meals to help process food and keep your system healthy.

• Enjoy people rather than food: Instead of thinking about the season in terms of the great food you’ll eat, think more about the amazing people you’ll encounter. If your family is like mine, there are lots of cousins I only see 1-2 times/year – so, Thanksgiving and Christmas are great days to get to catch up on kids, family, hobbies, school, kids, and life! Plus, when I’m talking, I tend to eat less!

• Work out for 10-20 minutes – that’s all! Sometimes we think that if we can’t work out for an hour, it’s not worth getting out there to do it. That’s wrong! If you don’t’ have much time, just increase the intensity and workout for a shorter amount of time.

Try this at home:
2-3 min warm up: walk around your house, up/down stairs, or jog, then begin circuit.

Circuit: Do 1 minute of each of the following:
jumping jacks
push ups
squats
jump rope (w/ invisible rope if you don’t have one)
chair dips

Rest for 1 minute, then repeat the circuit 2-3 times