Maintaining a regular exercise routine during the holiday season can be challenging for many people. The holiday season can be a stressful, busy time of year. With parties to attend, Christmas cookies to make, and cold weather to combat, it’s no surprise that many put their exercise routine on the back burner this time of the year. Keeping up with your normal exercise routine is not only more possible than you might think, but it can also be an important tool in coping with this time of year.
Exercise can help manage weight gain from all the food you eat around the holidays. According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, adults gain an average of one to two pounds each holiday season; this may not seem like a lot until you consider that usually, this weight is typically never shed. That adds up to 10 to 20 pounds of weight gain per decade. Keeping up with at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day can help combat this weight gain over time!
Perhaps your usual form of exercise during the warmer months included going for a walk or run outside, or driving to the gym. Many find they don’t have the will-power to brave the cold of winter to keep up their healthy habits. Keep in mind, many of the daily activities you do during the course of your normal day can become exercise themselves! For instance, you can burn 422 calories per hour shoveling snow. If you have a dog, you already have to take them for walk each day; you can maximize the benefit of this chore by actively playing with your pooch on your walk to burn about 280 calories per hour. Do you have lots of Christmas shopping to do? Consider power walking between stores and parking far away from the entrances to get a little extra exercise in. Remember, moderate-intensity exercise is considered any activity that gets your heart rate elevated and makes you feel a little short of breath.
If formal exercise is more your thing, consider searching YouTube for workout videos that you can do from the warmth of your family room! “Fitness Blender” is a good place to start your search; you can find a wide selection of workout videos from beginners yoga, to weight lifting, to a no-equipment-needed cardio routine on this YouTube channel.
The benefits of exercise go beyond weight loss. Exercise is a great tool to help cope with stress and improve your mood during the holiday season. They can help boost mood for those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. There is no denying the benefits of overcoming your challenges to continue your regular exercise program!
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week; I would like to challenge you to make this your personal health goal this holiday season! You can also add this personal health goal to “Things to accomplish in 2018.”
References:
A prospective study of holiday weight gain.
Yanovski JA, Yanovski SZ, Sovik KN, Nguyen TT, O’Neil PM, Sebring NG.
N Engl J Med. 2000 Mar 23;342(12):861-7.
“How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 June 2015, www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm.
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