‘Tis the Season to Be Active and Fit in a Little Fitness
#withDavida
You’re busy. I get it. We are all busy especially during Christmas time. I look forward to my family’s usual 10-day visit to my in-laws in New England. Since they live in the middle of nowhere, I always think I’m going to have a lot of down time to be active and can sneak away to the basement to workout or practice new exercise formats. Ha!There’s always so much going on and so many friends and relatives to see that by the time I do have down time I’m too tired to be active and exercise.
My whole philosophy in life and health is to be active and keep moving.
We Americans sit around too much. Since I don’t cut out on indulging in rich dinners and fancy cocktails during the holiday I try to keep active. Hopefully I’m teaching my children to do the same while setting a good example for my relatives. Here are some ways to fit in exercise while you spend time with your loved ones.
My family loves to be active and go to an ice skating rink during school break. Outdoor rinks are more charming but indoor rinks might be more easily accessible in some areas and not prone to warmer temperatures. If you don’t know how to skate or haven’t been in a while, don’t worry. After an hour you will be gliding along and will have burned a few hundred calories. The grandparents won’t put on a pair of skates but they usually take a stroll around the area. It’s better than watching Judge Judy on the couch.
Active Together!
Can’t stand the cold?
Bowling is a good indoor activity! Young and old can play and spend an afternoon together. You could burn at least 100 calories per hour or more!
We always pack the Wii game when we visit the grandparents in the winter and hook it up to the television. It’s hours of entertainment for the kids who barely sit down when playing or are fighting over it. I prefer it to the games on the PC where their butts are glued to the chair. Plus everybody can join in and be active. A game like bowling will burn you almost 100 calories in just a half hour.
Instead of driving we like to take the train into the city and then have to walk to see all the sites and restaurants. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. One year I opted for style over comfort and my feet regretted it greatly.
Of course taking a walk after your big holiday dinner is good for the digestive system while you’re being active. I especially like taking a walk in the cool crisp winter air because it wakes me up after eating a lot of heavy food.
Another tradition we have is getting out of the house early the day after Christmas to take advantage of half-off wrapping paper and other markdowns. You may have been walking around burning calories before Christmas. Why not keep shopping and keep walking. It keeps the economy growing and an hour might extract up to 200 calories.
I make my husband taking me dancing for New Year’s. It’s a fun night out and if you find a place playing enough of your favorite songs you can have a nice little workout. Some clubs offer line dancing or dance lessons before the DJ starts. Don’t be shy. Everyone’s rhythm is different and beautiful. Just have fun.
You probably don’t have time to get to the gym everyday to be acitve and break a sweat between Christmas and New Year’s and that’s okay.
Family time is important. But you can stay active. The more you eat the more you need to move.
Health and wellness is the best gift of all.
Please comment below and share a holiday activity your family has that keeps everybody moving.
Use one of the following links to try and calculate how many calories you can burn. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise.
Happy Holidays and Good Health to all!
Resources:
Fit Day Calories Calculator: https://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_burned.html
Glamour Calorie Calculator: http://www.glamour.com/story/calorie-calculator
