It’s
that time of year again. The time to remorsefully overindulge in holiday feasts,
justifying every extra helping with the (empty) promise that come January 1st,
we’re going to exercise every day-- harder than ever before! We’ve all made
that ‘get in shape’ resolution that we attack gung-ho for about a week, before
slipping back into old habits. But hey, when the whole family is over happily
sharing a meal and getting nostalgic, we’re not asking you to push aside the
turkey and stuffing and eat a salad instead. That’s cruel and unusual
punishment. Instead, let’s launch a preemptive strike on the inevitable
gluttony, and make our holiday experiences as guilt-free as possible.
Have you ever felt your health habits slipping—or just flat
out falling? After a few months of avoiding the gym and not worrying about your
caloric intake, you figure, “I can just hit the gym hard for a little while and
get my body back,” right? WRONG. You
cannot overturn months of bad habits in a week, or two. We’ve put together a
list of some tips to make sure Santa is the only one rocking the over-hang gut
this season J
Tip#1à
Bad habits die hard. Don’t wait until January to begin your New Year’s resolution.
Get into a great workout plan starting right now, so when the holiday season
rolls around, you will have some wiggle room (get it?). You will have a head
start on the annual overindulgence. Also, you will have formed good workout
habits before you hit your ’desperation mode” (err…I mean New Year’s resolution) and will be able to avoid overworking yourself during
that first week causing you to quit. You will be much more likely to stick to
your routine and continue working out, while keeping that extra weight off, as
your body will have adjusted to your new routine.
Tip#2à
Pace yourself. Believe it or not, you actually burn LESS calories when you
start a new workout or activity because your body is not used to the new workout
and must overcompensate for it. It generally takes about 30 days for your body
to become used to a new routine and to begin adjusting and burning the optimal
amount of calories. This is why the majority of people who start a new exercise
regimen quit after less than a month. Once the 30 day adjustment period has
passed, they tend to stick with their program for a much longer time. Our
advice is to rotate intense workouts with lighter ones, and not to go too hard
on back-to-back days, causing a burn-out.
Tip#3à
Consistency is key. As previously mentioned, it is important to stick to your
workout plan for at least 30 days to allow your body to become acclimated to
your new routine. It is better to work out for 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week,
than 25 minutes a day, twice a week. Even if you don’t “feel the burn” from the
lighter work out, your body is still burning the calories, and you will not be
too sore to motivate yourself to hit the treadmill or gym again the next day.
Tip#4à
No excuses! If you want to go for a run, but keep telling yourself it’s too
cold, then you are making excuses. If a sweatshirt (or UnderArmour) isn’t
enough for you and you don’t have a gym membership or a treadmill, there are
other options. While you’re watching TV, run in place, alternating high knee
kicks, and intervals (increasing and decreasing your pace). During commercial
breaks, do pushups (back, bicep, shoulders, pectorals, forearms) and sit-ups
(abs, core) as well as couch dips (triceps). Look at that, you just burned 500 calories
watching American Idol!
If you stick to these 4 simple tips, you can guiltlessly have
seconds, while screaming across the dinner table to crazy Uncle Joe to “pass
the pumpkin pie!” ‘Tis the season to be jolly, so grab some of those cookies
you left out for Santa and don’t feel bad about it!
To keep you energized and healthy for your winter-workouts,
don’t forget to grab a Phix before. Depending on the weather, enjoy it hot or
cold. If you haven’t tried a Phix workout yet, you’re in for a treat—try a FREE
TRIAL right now!
Enjoy your Holiday Season,
Your friends at Phix
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