We’re all-in on the idea that wellness includes time for relaxation, celebration, and a little enjoyment of seasonal and festive foods (latkes and jelly donuts, anyone?). But we also know how important it is to stay fixed on a path of wellness!
Looking for some guidance in the right direction? We’ve asked several members of our Fitness team to provide their top strategies for successfully navigating the busy season, wellness-wise. Read on, and glean some tips that can help you as you strive for well-rounded wellness during the holiday season.
When I think of the holidays, I get overwhelmed with the amount of food that is available. Of course, I want to taste everything so here are my personal strategies for how to combat the wave of food.
I keep moving before and after any of the eating events. I plan to surf, hike, climb, or bike at an intense level leading up to, and then after each event. This helps me feel better about sampling any fabulous food. I say sampling because sometimes a taste is all I need to make sure I haven’t missed anything. Then if there is something I want to “spend” my calories on, I can go for it.
—Vicki McGrath, Wellness Director
Yoga has such a powerful effect on my physical and emotional body, that I always try to find creative ways to incorporate it in my everyday life.
In my everyday life: work, kids’ schedule in general, and dogs (I have two big girls). I try to keep my practice by modifying it to shorter times when needed. I would always prefer to practice even if it is only 15- 20 minutes of movement, rather than not practice at all. If I don’t have time to meditate, I will take a mindful walk with my dogs, slowing my pace to bring more awareness into my day.
This December, when I travel to Israel and Europe, I will take my light yoga mat with me. This way, I will make sure there are no excuses not to move. I can see how I might take advantage of early morning jet lag to practice before anyone else wakes up.
—Anat Reisman-Kedem, Yoga Instructor
I believe setting a goal, planning ahead and making a schedule that is realistic at any time of year is good for keeping workouts on track. It will keep individuals accountable and hopefully alleviate excuses not to workout. Tracking progress in 3-month increments is also a good idea. Let your family know about your scheduled workout routine. Seeking their support with certain chores will alleviate more time for your workouts.
Have your workout clothes ready to go the night before in the living room. You can partner with a friend to do these workouts at the same time for support. You want to be sure you put in the maximum efforts in a short amount of time.
When at the workplace, use the stairs as much as possible and also park further away from the building. Both of these options create more steps in the daily routine.
Planning weekend walks with a friend or friends that are scheduled in advance will create more steps as well.
Portion control for meals with healthy choices is always preferred. To help with this, consume 1 cup of water before every meal and also when a snack attack hits, do the same thing to give your system a sense of fullness.
—Cher Fuentes, Aqua Fitness Instructor
My philosophy on working out during the holidays is to take it “to go” and to be flexible with workouts. The key to keeping up with my workouts whenever I’m away from home is to make sure that I “pack” my workouts and take them with me wherever I go. I carry an iPad that I can use to take online classes in dance, Pilates, and yoga. I can work out wherever I am with just an iPad and some Airpods. I also carry an adapter and an HDMI cable so I can plug my ipad into any flatscreen. My favorite online routine is to do a few 20-minute dance workouts and a 10-minute Pilates workout to round out a 60-minute workout.
However, if I don’t have an hour, I still try and get at least a 20-30 minute workout in. Just 10 minutes of movement does a world of good for you body, mind and soul. Working out during the holidays is also a great excuse for me to try new forms of movement, so whether or not that’s a new class online, a new instructor and/or a new studio, the holidays are a perfect time for me to also give new or different workouts a try.
—Kim Yee, Zumba Instructor
