Advice

• Stay committed to regular workouts, even if you have to cut your usual workout time in half. Lack of time, due to busy holiday schedules, seems to be the most common reason for giving up on a workout program. Remember that a little bit is better than none! Shorter workouts may not improve your fitness level, but they can certainly maintain your current level of fitness.



• Work out 2 to 3 days per week, rather than 4 to 5. Like shorter workouts, less frequent workouts will help you maintain the level of fitness you've worked so hard to attain. Maintenance is not regression!



• Approach those tempting (and high calorie) buffet tables with caution. Taste, sample and enjoy all the treats, just don’t fill up on them. We’ve found it helps to eat a healthy meal before going to a holiday party, and then just enjoy little bits of those “waistline expanding” treats.



• Take a few minutes each day for a "quiet time out." Even if you can’t fit in a workout, try this simple re-energizing technique. Sit up tall in a chair or on the floor. Breathe in long streams of air through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Slow down your breathing rate until you can do a slow 5-count inhale and 5-count exhale. Maintain good posture, but try to relax as you focus on your breathing. After as little as five to ten minutes, your batteries should feel somewhat re-charged.



• Break up your aerobic conditioning into small segments, and intersperse it throughout your day. If you normally do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at one time, do three 10-minute segments whenever you can fit them in. A brisk walk in the morning, the middle and at the end of your day will keep your heart healthy, burn calories and boost your energy.



• Commit to a quick workout with a friend or family member. Make a "date," schedule in the time, and determine to keep each other accountable. When you’ve made a commitment to another person, you’re less likely to let your busy to-do-list take the place of your scheduled work out.



• Focus your energy on one healthy habit during this busy time. Rather than trying to do everything, concentrate on one aspect of health that is important to you. If you’ve made huge changes in your eating habits this past year, focus on healthy eating. If you’ve finally gotten yourself on a regular, consistent exercise schedule, focus on getting in some regular workouts. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much, but don’t do too little!


• Do a quick strength workout at home or the office with just your body weight and a chair. Start with a set of push-ups, then do a set of triceps dips on the chair. Give your arms a rest and move on to a wall squat and a front lunge. Finish with sets of ab curls and back extension. Although not a complete workout, it targets lots of your major muscle groups.



• Try to eat regular healthy meals at normally scheduled times. When you get busy and skip meals, you’ll tend to overeat or binge out on junk food when you do finally take the time to eat. Keep some healthy snacks with you and be aware of what and when you’re eating.



• Remember how good you feel when you’re exercising and eating healthy! If you make your healthy lifestyle a priority, you’ll stay energized and less stressed.