The holidays: a time when I feel justified to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, for three straight months.
Each year, I start my holiday eating as soon as candy corn arrives in stores. Then I proceed to eat my way through the next three months. Finally, on January 1st, I climb back onto my scale to see the “damage” and vow never to do it again. But, when the next year comes, I start the same cycle! The treats themselves would be fine if I also didn’t decide to take a break from my regular fitness routines for the months of November and December. It turns out that I just can’t bring myself to drag my three kids to the gym every morning when it starts to get cold out. I want to snuggle with them and stay at home!
When I do start to go the the gym (when I go stir crazy in January and February after being cooped up for months), my 5-days-a-week routine at the gym doesn’t feel like enough time. You would think I should know better. I have a degree in public health and spent my pre-child years teaching others how to make good health choices, but I seem to have forgotten (or just ignored) my own advice. Because of that, this year, I’ve decided to try incorporating fitness into my holiday events, in hopes that I don’t completely fall apart.
I asked my gym friends (before I said goodbye for the winter) what they thought about incorporating fitness into their holidays, and then we discussed what each of our families do. Here is the list we came up with.
Holiday Gym Classes
This is a trick I learned from my mother-in-law. She teaches classes at her local gym in WA, and she told me that they always hold special morning classes on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve before they close the gym for the holidays. I checked with my local gym (the YMCA) and they do the same thing. You should look into this at your gym, it’s a great way to get a sweat in before the holiday celebrations begin (and see your gym friends you have been missing for months).
Touch Football Games
If you don’t have enough family members, get together with some friends and neighbors to play a game of touch football while your Thanksgiving turkey cooks. While having 14 players is ideal, you can play with as few as 8 people. It’s a fun way to get your blood pumping and get in a few laughs before the NFL puts on a show of professional class athletes. You’ll know it’s time to finish when your game transforms into a game of tackle football and an old person gets hurt.
5K Walk/Run
While many people don’t think that the winter is a good time for outdoor running, a 5K walk/run is a perfect way to incorporate fitness into your holidays. It can even become a holiday tradition! A quick google search gave me a list of upcoming races here in the Omaha area. 5K’s are my favorite. Running is not my thing. When we run races, my husband usually runs ahead of me and waits at the end. I have never found a good running groove, but a 5K is short enough that I can load my smaller kids into the stroller and my 5 year old can “run” it with me. We usually end up walking most of the way, but its still only takes about 45 minutes. Even better, we have great memories of “running” together. Here is a link to Nebraska December races.
Running in the USA
Sledding
My grandparents live on a huge hill. When I was little, we would always go sledding there for our holiday parties. The kids would bundle up and sled while the grown ups watched out of the bay windows and cooked dinner together. Some of my fondest holiday memories involve sledding with my cousins. I can’t imagine a holiday party without sledding. In my opinion, it’s the perfect way to spend a holiday and burn some calories, too.
Winter Sports
Plan your holiday parties around a winter-friendly sport like ice skating, snowboarding, or skiing. After spending a few hours doing a fun activity together, gather around to drink some hot chocolate (that’s what you’ll tell the kids, at least) and share a few more stories. You’ll make great memories being active together! For those who don’t want to participate, they can sit on the sidelines and chat with anyone who needs a break.
Just Get Outside
I have a policy that as long as the feels like temperature is above 20 degrees, then it is alright to go outside. The Norwegians have a saying, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”. I heard that saying three years ago and it’s become a motto for me. Because of this, after holiday dinners, I often ask who wants to go for a walk and then spend half an hour walking around my neighborhood. I feel so much better if I walk after overindulging in turkey and ham than if I sit down for another hour. After your holiday dinner, bundle up as a family and go for a walk. The crisp air will feel nice.
Incorporating fitness into holiday events doesn’t need to be hard; it can be as easy as playing Just Dance on your TV. If you do what works for you, any fitness is good fitness.
