Winter is coming, and with it, the holiday parties, stress, and an excess of food and alcohol. Many people make a New Year’s Resolution to keep themselves in better health, but you do not need a major event to start taking care of yourself. In fact, you can commit to your health and to staying in shape this winter with these easy tips:
Do Not Skip Your Workout: You may have a workout schedule in place, but the winter months – especially December- become riddled with events and traffic causing you to skip your pre-planned gym time. Keep in mind that regular workouts are a way to stay in shape and feel good so you should not allow yourself to skip the gym. To help you plan workouts around the weather, you can download a free iPhone or Android weather app. You can use one of the free weather apps to keep track of the weather and plan accordingly. Even if the weather absolutely prevents you from going to the gym, commit to working out at home with squats, pushups, sit ups, and possibly even the strength-building exercise of shoveling some snow out of your drive way.
Avoid Stress: Stress eating and drinking are a major source of calories and disappointment. Sometimes you can tend to eat or drink because you are stressed, and then feel bad because you are eating or drinking more than you know you should and stress out more- culminating in a viscous cycle that is detrimental to your health. A lot of stress can be avoided with a bit of pre-planning. For instance, you can download one of the available free weather apps to help you plan for the winter weather.
Indulge In Moderation: The holidays are a season to be savored and are certainly a time for indulgence and cheer. Depriving yourself of delicious holiday snacks will likely make you miserable, but you should also practice moderation. Consider all of the delicious things that you want to enjoy, and give yourself a bit at a time. Coupling your indulgences with a work-out is also a great idea.
You do not need to wait for New Year ’s Day to make the commitment of staying in shape. With a bit of mindfulness, you can start immediately, and continue to stay healthy throughout the holidays and throughout the rest of the winter season.