September hits, the grandkids are back to school, you fit in one last trip to the beach and before you know it, the stores are filled with Halloween candy and the Holiday season is rolling in!
The holidays can be a joyful time filled with tradition, family, and magic but they can also be stressful, filled with too much family (wink wink), extra activities adding more stress to your schedule, and lots and lots of sweet treats and richer foods that can quickly drag you down and pack on the extra pounds.
How would it feel if you welcomed the New Year feeling healthy, full of energy, and stronger instead of run down, tired, and carrying extra pounds? It’s absolutely possible, check out these tips.
Stay Consistent with Healthy Habits
It can be really tempting to skip your workouts, be too rushed to hydrate fully, or miss out on a full night’s sleep from so many holiday events. The more consistent you are with your healthy habits, the better you will feel.
Keeping up with your workouts, making them a priority on your calendar or adding in a walk after a family meal can help you to get your blood flowing, boost endorphins, keep your energy high and stop you from feeling sluggish, and even improve your mood.
With our live online workout programs at Vitality Fitness and Wellness, our members are staying active, keeping their energy up, and getting their workouts in throughout the holiday season. Check out this quick exercise snack to get you moving, even if you only have 10 minutes:
Strive to stay hydrated with clear liquids including broths, herbal teas, and water. This improves your energy, keeps your mind and skin clear and keeps the holiday germs away. Too much sugar, including in drinks, can help mucus to build up in your system making it easier for germs to take hold!
With ever changing schedules and fun holiday events, it can be tough to get a full night’s sleep. Try to stick to a similar schedule most days and add an evening wind down routine that helps you sleep. Your routine might be to stop eating two hours before bedtime, reduce screen time in the evenings and add in some gentle stretching or guided meditation before bed.
Focus on What Really Counts
Traffic, long lines, higher prices at the stores, and extra events may have you feeling stressed out. Take some time to prioritize the moments and events that are important to you for the holiday season. Think about your favorite traditions like walking around to see the lights, gathering with family, cooking or baking together.
Are there other events that you can kindly decline? Be realistic with your calendar. When you say yes to everything, you may find you are more stressed out and have more occasions to indulge in more decadent foods than if you were at home. There may be opportunities for you to create a new healthier tradition for your family and generations to come!
Indulge within Reason
One of the best parts of the holidays is the incredible food. Think about how you have felt after holidays past where you may have overindulged not only at one meal, but at event after event. Before you know it, you are ringing in the New Year heavier than before and feeling more sluggish.
Before going to a holiday event, be sure to stay hydrated and fuel your body with healthy foods including lean proteins, lots of veggies and fruits, and complex carbs. Don’t restrict your calories leading up to an event so that you can use your calories there, this only causes you to over-indulge.
And try not to restrict yourself too much, because depriving yourself can make it too easy to binge. Choose as many healthy choices as possible and pick one or two items or even a smaller portion of those items that allow you to enjoy but not over-indulge.
These tips can help you to feel your best throughout this holiday season. Check out my Healthy Holiday Recipe Book for some tasty ideas.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
How do you make sure you stick with your habits during the holidays? Do you make compromises or do you make time for what really counts?
