The past six weeks have been very interesting. Listening to the chatter in my network, I’m hearing a lot of grumblings about stress and excess workloads. I’ve also heard people saying how “thankful” they were for the Thanksgiving break away from work! Here are some healthy tips for the holiday season so we can stay on the right track.
The Fall And The Starting Of the Holiday Season
Fall is a tough time of year for a lot of people, and they find themselves battling several factors, including:
- Shorter daylight hours
- Longer workdays
- Higher stress levels
- Increased work demands
- Having to juggle competing priorities
- Decreased motivation and energy
This is why so many people end up limping into the end-of-year holidays feeling sick, unhealthy and burnt out.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some simple healthy tips and strategies to make your fall season (and holiday season) healthy, happy, and even more awesome than usual.
Healthy Tips And Strategies
Rest, renewal, and regeneration are vital to living a great and high-performing life. Making time for these practices includes giving thanks for all the amazing opportunities, experiences, and people in our life (gratitude), spending time with those we love, as well as capitalizing on the opportunity to recharge our mental, physical, and spiritual batteries.
For most people, these breaks end up being a time of indulgence and plenty. Indulging can be a great thing to do at times, and even more rewarding when a few simple habits are practiced.
In fact, if you are following a healthy and active lifestyle that includes a positive and empowering mindset, indulgence is a regular part of your life and will make you more successful in the long run.
At FRESH!, my team and I live by the 90/10 rule. Choose healthy, high-quality, nourishing, and tasty foods 90% of the time, and your body will easily handle the 10% of the time you make different choices.
If you need help with your diet, In our Fuel Your Body For Success workshop, you will learn the difference between real food and food type products, calorie counting, portion sizing, metabolic typing, and creating a meal plan customized to your lifestyle.
We are happy to share a few key principles that guide our actions each day and help our clients see such amazing results! In this post, I’ve compiled a few of these gems and also added in a couple of great Thanksgiving (or any holiday) workouts for you to do (because movement and activity should be a regular part of each day).
The Big Picture
- Do something ACTIVE every day (this can be anything from stretching, a walk, or an intense strength workout)
- Mix up your intensity (Easy, Moderate, Intense)
- Mix up your style of training (strength, cardio, agility, balance, power, etc.)
- Learn new skills and try new things. Your training should help you grow as a person
- Live each day and make your decisions based on who you ASPIRE to be, not who you are now
OK, now that the basics are out of the way, here are some more advanced tips.
Thanksgiving & Holiday Success Tips
- Prepare your meal using the BEST QUALITY ingredients from the best sources (forget about low fat and stuff like that)
- Eat your meal on a SIDE PLATE and have only ONE serving. (OK, a second smaller portion may be fine too). That just means more for leftovers!
- East slowly and thoroughly enjoy your food.
- Enjoy dessert, and keep the portion small
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day, including at dinner!
- Do something ACTIVE after your meal (get your family up and go for a walk or take the kids outside to play)
- Eat at regular intervals throughout the weekend (AVOID starving yourself…it will help you avoid overeating)
Holidays are a busy time. Schedules are packed, there is a lot of preparation, and physical activity is usually one of the first things to go. That’s why I’ve put together 2 simple movement sessions for you.
They don’t require any equipment, the time needed is VERY short, and you can do them anywhere…even in your kitchen! Plus, remember that movement is movement. It doesn’t require high levels of exertion or sweating. Do what your body is ready for, and do it consistently.
Express Workout #1
- Body Weight Squats (20)
- Push-ups – from the floor, back of the couch, or kitchen counter (10)
- Sit-ups – or clamshells (10)
- Supermans – regular, alternating, or “flying” (10)
- Stairs – run up and down your stairs 10 times*
* if you live in a rancher or condo, touch opposite walls of your house 10 times
Express Workout #2*
- Go for a brisk walk/jog
- Every second block, pick UP the pace by 50% and hold this until the end of the block
- Repeat 10-15 times (turn around after 7-10 intervals)
- Walk/Easy jog for the remainder of the way home
- Take 5 minutes to stretch your legs
* OK, so you can’t do this one in your kitchen, but it’s good to get outside and enjoy some fresh fall air!
Keep this in mind for your next holiday break…or any day! (Because healthy, active living isn’t just for holidays). Please let us know how you’ve done by tagging us in one of your social posts (@timborys or @freshfitcalgary).
If you need any help, just book your FREE success coaching session with FRESH! team and let’s ignite your true potential!
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