Holiday Activities

Holiday Activities

Thomasville Magazine Winter 2015

It’s officially holiday season! Red and green are everywhere, Christmas music is ringing in your ears, and you are already worrying about all those relatives coming to town! The kids are off from school, and you feel bad about leaving them home alone. Your fitness has now become the last thing on your mind.

Fear not! The holidays will come and go as they always do. That crazy aunt is never as bad as you anticipate. Life carries on as the New Years rolls around and you can wave goodbye to all the seasonal stress. But, can you wave goodbye to the sudden holiday weight gain because you let “life” take over?

It’s easy to let our normal lives go by the wayside once the roasted turkey pops out of the oven… until the ball drops.

Why do we compromise our fitness every holiday season? Of course, the holidays bring about a different schedule, especially if you have kids or travel. Our good intentions are still there, but it can be very difficult to get to the gym. So how do we put our fitness back into the holiday craze? By finding creative ways to schedule it in!

Here are some Holiday Activities to maintain your sanity and fitness:

·      Sign up for multiple walks/races that support your community and you can do with the whole family

·      Set your gym appointment for earlier in the day, before it gets away from you

·      Make a walking date with a friend – I’m sure you both can talk about holiday plans

·      Take the family to the museum, use an activity tracker and get those steps in!

·      Go mall walking before you start your shopping

·      Park as far away from the front door of the grocery store or mall as possible

·      If you have stairs in the house, walk up and down five times every hour

·      Put together a family football game

·      Have a dance party with the kids

·      Do one outdoor activity with the whole family every day- capture the flag, tunnel tag, horseback riding, etc.

·      Go to the local indoor swimming pool, jump in with those kids

·      Buy a fitness/yoga DVD and laugh as the whole family attempts it

The holidays can be so much fun, rewarding, and good for the family and your fitness. Remember, a body in motion stays in motion. Fitness can be done anywhere, anytime, Just be creative and have fun!