More Tips on Staying Fit During the Holidays

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

12 Dec 2008 09:00 PM

A new survey out says the average American can expect to put on 10 pounds of weight between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Basically, the research shows that most of us are weaklings when it comes to resisting the temptation to gorge on holiday goodies. What's more, survey respondents also shared that they are simply too busy to hit the gym during the month of December, which further hinders the fitness process.

So what can you do to avoid the seasonal slump? Take a look:

Strength Training. Incorporate strength-training exercises into your workout to maximize calorie burning. Lunges, push-ups, and medicine ball exercises will help you target multiple muscle groups with one exercise. Strength training exercises burn more calories than exercising isolated body parts individually. Consider doing these exercises for 20-30 minutes a day twice a week.

Dinner Table Suggestions. Sit at the table with good posture and suck in your stomach when eating. Another tip: Chew your food slowly and put your fork down after each bite. Finally, drink lots of water.

Maximize Your Time. Use your lunch break to walk to a nearby park and take in the winter scenery or stroll to a shopping center to do holiday errands. Remember, little activities add up. For example, carrying a toddler around house, taking stairs instead of escalator when shopping, or cleaning your home before the in-laws arrive burns calories.

Go All Out on the Weekends. If you work Monday-Friday, then focus on fitness during the weekends. Workout for an hour or more on your days off. You can go skiing, snowshoeing, hiking or sledding with your kids. Or, if you're in a warm-weather state, use the time to take a long bike ride or jog through the park.

Winter Chores. Shoveling snow or chopping wood is a great workout. You'll burn several hundred calories doing either task. Just make sure you use proper form to avoid injuries.

Related Articles:

Staying Ahead of Your New Year's Fitness Resolutions

Fitness Food for Thought

Don't Let the Cold Weather Derail Your Fitness Routine

How to Make Workouts a Priority During the Holiday Season

Don't Let the Holidays Ruin Your Fitness Routine

Looking for a Treadmill this Christmas?

How Often Do You Use Your Home Gym?

Bad Things Happen When You Stop Going to the Gym

Getting Fit: No More Excuses

Exercise and Music

Why am I so Sore?

Creating a Challenging Workout Routine

Exercising on the Road: No Excuses

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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