Staying healthy over the christmas holidays

We all know how easy it is to let go of our fitness routines during the holiday season, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can still enjoy the festivities without compromising your health.

Finding the right balance between enjoying the festive season and keeping on track with your health and fitness can be difficult, but we promise it's possible!

At the end of the day, you should enjoy your holidays with no guilt attached to whatever food you want to eat and indulge in all the relaxation your heart desires.

At the same time, staying active and being reasonably conscious of your food and drink choices doesn’t mean total deprivation. Like all good things, it’s a balancing act, and finding a happy medium is actually likely to leave you feeling more energetic and satisfied over the holidays.

To help you juggle social occasions and stay on track towards your health and fitness goals, we share our top pieces of advice for enjoying this silly season.

If you need more help balancing this busy time of year, you'll love our Holiday Survival Guide.

Practice Mindful Eating

We would never recommend you pull out the food scales and track your calories at Christmas dinner! And using the hand portion guide can be hard to follow when there are mountains of delicious food in front of you. Not to mention you likely didn't prepare all of it yourself, so it's impossible to know all the dishes' ingredients.

But you can still make mindful choices. Focusing on what you are chewing rather than your next bite, putting your knife and fork down between bites and engaging in conversation while at the table are all excellent ways to help you slow down and register your hunger and fullness cues. And remember, it's okay not to finish your plate if your eyes are bigger than your belly! I'm sure there will be leftovers tomorrow.

Learn more here: 5 Strategies for Mindful Eating

A Different Kind of Drinking Challenge

Alcohol is an inevitable part of the holiday season. If you are concerned about the calorie content of alcohol, try to avoid high-calorie beers and sugary drinks such as pre-mixed spirits or mixers like coke and lemonade.

Instead, use soda or sparkling water with straight spirits and some fresh lemon or lime. Be smart, and do your research- if you want to drink beer, find a lower-calorie option. If you don't want to drink at all but want to fly under the radar, plenty of non-alcoholic beverages are available now. Sometimes all you need is something in your hand to fly under the radar!

Make Unstructured Exercise Your Friend

Find an excuse to work out: "Hey, anyone want coffee? I'm going to run down to that cool little place a few blocks over."

Find your inner kid: I'm sure if there are children in your family, they will be playing some backyard game at some point during the day, so why not join them?

Get creative: The exercise you do doesn't have to be going to the gym or going on a run. Some movement is better than no movement.

Get the rest of the family involved: Try going for a group walk and chatting after a meal rather than sitting around and chatting. They may be hesitant at first, but you shouldn't feel discouraged.

Make Time to Plan Ahead

I'm sure you already have a few festive events on your calendar if you aren't fully booked! So why not use this knowledge to your advantage?

Identify the days you know you will have the least control and make the days you have the most control work in your favour. This might mean swapping gym days around, exercising from home, getting a morning walk in, or doing a little extra meal prep. Remember, it is about OVERALL balance. A few days of food and relaxation won't ruin all of your hardwork.

We hope this will help you enjoy the silly season and still stay on track with your health and fitness goals!