Christmas holidays is a perfect time to relax, spend time with your friends and family and eat a bunch of delicious Christmas food. Though, it can be far too easy to let the relaxation and yummy food take over completely and all of a sudden you haven’t worked out in over a month and you can’t really remember the last time you didn’t go a day without eating something filled with sugar or carbs.
And I really don’t blame you. It is so easy to get caught up in all the festivities and forget about that resolution you made ages ago of not letting the holidays come in between you and your fitness goals. So how does one avoid just this? Well I am no expert but I have some tips and tricks up my sleeve which might just save you needing to make a new, new year’s resolution after a big holiday bonanza!
Tip number 1; Don’t stop exercising just find new ways to do it!
Of course, going to the gym everyday can become a bit problematic when you are visiting your family or if the gym has closed for the holidays. But exercising can come in more shapes and forms than simply going to the gym or doing a workout at home. You can enjoy a hike in the hinterlands or in one of the many national parks around the coast. Climb up any of the many mountains and watch the amazing sunrises or sunsets. Take the entire family down to the beach for some fun water activities such as swimming. Stand up paddle boarding or kite surfing. Or perhaps you want to explore some even more alternative methods such as aerial arts, pole dancing, rock climbing and trampoline bouncing. In the end finding new, fun ways where you can get some exercise in without it having to feel too much as exercise as well as the opportunity to include your loved ones in it is a great way to spend your holiday.
Tip number 2; Enjoy all the amazing food but remember moderation
Eggnog, Christmas pudding, chocolate, the list goes on and on of all the amazing food this wonderful season has to offer. Though simply because we get bombarded with all this amazing food does not mean we need to overdo it. If you think about it, if it wasn’t the holidays there is less of a chance you would overeat because that would mess up whatever fitness or general health goal you currently have. So why, simply because it is the holidays should you overindulge? Why not simply enjoy the food the season has to offer but do so in moderation? In this way, you can still enjoy all the food you love without having to end up losing track of whatever goal you have.
Tip number 3; Don’t let your holiday break become an excuse for you to stop striving towards your goals
It is far too common we let the holidays become an excuse to take a break from our general health conscious efforts. We associate the holiday break as a time where we should relax and enjoy ourselves. And of course, this is true, we should enjoy ourselves and relax from all the stress we are often facing at work, university etc. Though, it doesn’t mean we should relax and enjoy ourselves to the point where we completely stop to think about doing any form of exercise or eating some greens over a biscuit. Life doesn’t get put on hold simply because it is a holiday season.
So enjoy the food, spend time with your loved ones and relax but remember your health can still be a part of the holiday season just in a different way than it usually is.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
By Amanda Rogmark – Study Sunshine Coast Student Ambassador
