The concept of healthy eating for the rest of our lives or 150 minutes of exercise per week can seem daunting and nearly impossible at first. However, many times when things are broken apart we are better able to understand the big picture, and this is no different.
The concept of what you can, when you can is from a book I received at my Fitbloggin' conference last year. The book breaks down a healthy lifestyle into smaller daily activities. These smaller bits add up over time to create healthy habits.
I feel as though this concept is very important year round, but especially during the holidays. The holidays are a difficult time where we are often thrown off our normal routine. This can many times lead to weight gain and/or loss of motivation. To keep our overall goal of a healthy lifestyle over the holidays, let's look at some small ways that we can do "what we can, when we can":
1. Park further away when going shopping (heck, use those cans or gallon jugs as your weights for a few bicep curls during shopping ;) ).
2. When out to eat, replace a higher fat side like fries or onion rings with a side salad. Look for ways to make healthier substitutes in your favorite holiday dishes (Greek yogurt in place of sour cream?).
3. Go for a short walk with family after dinner (walk around your neighborhood to look at the christmas lights).
4. Wait 20 minutes after eating your first helping before going back for seconds (after 20 minutes you may realize that your body doesn't need it!).
5. Make an exercise game out of your favorite Christmas movie (10 jumping jacks every time Santa is mentioned or seen).
The concept of what you can, when you can is from a book I received at my Fitbloggin' conference last year. The book breaks down a healthy lifestyle into smaller daily activities. These smaller bits add up over time to create healthy habits.
I feel as though this concept is very important year round, but especially during the holidays. The holidays are a difficult time where we are often thrown off our normal routine. This can many times lead to weight gain and/or loss of motivation. To keep our overall goal of a healthy lifestyle over the holidays, let's look at some small ways that we can do "what we can, when we can":
1. Park further away when going shopping (heck, use those cans or gallon jugs as your weights for a few bicep curls during shopping ;) ).
2. When out to eat, replace a higher fat side like fries or onion rings with a side salad. Look for ways to make healthier substitutes in your favorite holiday dishes (Greek yogurt in place of sour cream?).
3. Go for a short walk with family after dinner (walk around your neighborhood to look at the christmas lights).
4. Wait 20 minutes after eating your first helping before going back for seconds (after 20 minutes you may realize that your body doesn't need it!).
5. Make an exercise game out of your favorite Christmas movie (10 jumping jacks every time Santa is mentioned or seen).
These little activities don't mean that we shouldn't include regular exercise and healthy choices during the holidays, but they are the little things that can add up to make us feel healthier and more in control of our health during this wonderful time of year!
What are your tricks of the trade for staying healthy over the holidays?
What are your tricks of the trade for staying healthy over the holidays?