Holiday Secret: Have a Plan! - Fitness Incentive

If you’re keeping up with your exercise and eating healthy when you can there is no reason you can’t enjoy a few cocktails and holiday treats.The key is to go into the holidays with a plan. Here are some simple ways to keep yourself fit and healthy over the holidays.

Janet Lang

December is usually synonymous with an abundance of eating and a lack of exercise. The holidays are a time for celebration and spending time with family and friends, not to put on weight. It’s almost as if we’ve come to accept that we are going to put on 10 pounds during the holiday season. The holiday season might not be a time to lose weight, but it doesn’t have to be a time to gain weight either. The key is to go into the holidays with a plan. Here are some simple ways to keep yourself fit and healthy over the holidays.

Schedule Your Workouts

With every holiday season, our schedules become very hectic. There’s shopping to be done, presents to be wrapped, and holiday celebrations galore with friends and family. Set yourself up with a holiday calendar where all your activities are in one place, shopping trips, holiday parties, and yes your exercise schedule. Schedule your workouts just as you would any other appointment. If your regular exercise schedule doesn’t exactly fit into your holiday schedule, you may have to modify your routine. This is a great opportunity to try a new class, a new instructor or some of the new cardio equipment on the gym floor. A small change to your workout routine can mean big changes in your body. If you’re having trouble getting to the gym, try an early morning class, like a 5:10 am cycle class. You’ll be done and out of the gym by 6:00 am, and when you are out at that holiday party you can enjoy yourself guilt free.

Dress For Success

You’ve heard the phrase “dress for success,” while it’s a good motto to have professionally, it can also apply to the world of fitness. What you wear can impact the success of your workout. Secretly Chic, the boutique at FI, carries everything you need from high quality, comfortable fitness wear to sneakers to set up for the perfect workout. If you always show up to the gym in a baggy tee shirt and a pair of old leggings your energy level will follow suit. When you put on a pair of printed leggings from Strut This or cut-out leggings from Alo paired with a cute exercise top it actually subconsciously changes how you act. Basically, when you wear cute workout wear, not only are you more inclined to be active, but you will feel more confident in your abilities, which could lead to improved focus, motivation, and gains. So stop feeling guilty and stuff that buyer’s remorse back in the shopping bag—those printed leggings are well worth your hard-earned cash.

Hydrate

Keep a water bottle with you at all times. You should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. If drinking all that water every day seems monotonous try adding some lemon. During the holidays we tend to eat and drink a lot of things we would normally steer clear of which can wreak havoc on our digestive systems. When you begin your day with fresh lemon water, you lower your chance of indigestion, heartburn, and many common digestive issues. Lemon mixed with some warm water can help regulate your body’s pH levels during the day and release your body from harmful toxins. It is also beneficial to pick up a multi-probiotic at Incentives Organic Spa and Salon for a healthy digestive system all year around!

If you’re keeping up with your exercise and eating healthy when you can there is no reason you can’t enjoy a few cocktails and holiday treats. Live it up a little and enjoy this holiday season!