You might feel like you gain weight just thinking about the holidays. But don’t worry, you can still enjoy the turkey and stuffing of Thanksgiving –just get active. Are you hosting the holiday? Here’s how to enjoy the occasion without losing focus on your exercise.
Step it up. Grab the whole family early (before the football games start) and go for a family walk or hike. Depending on where you live, you could enjoy the late fall weather or walk faster to warm up in the crisp winter temps. If there are trails nearby, set out for a long-distance hike. If you are away from home, go exploring on foot and enjoy the change of scenery as you get the miles under your feet. If early in the day doesn’t work, then do the “post feast” fitness walk. Maybe you can catch the first glimpse of the holiday lights from those early decorators who light up on Thanksgiving Day.
Hit the health club. Just think of how amazing you will feel when you are at the gym doing a special holiday fitness class first thing Thanksgiving morning! When you do things most people don’t do, it can give you a jolt of confidence because you are staying committed and focused to your fitness at a time when others aren’t. Pull away from the sedentary holiday crowd and choose to be different by walking into your health club this Thanksgiving.
Race to the finish. Can you say Turkey Trot? There are lots of holiday runs on Thanksgiving. No matter what the distance, challenge yourself and sign up for a run. Mix fitness, friends, family and walk, jog or run. In many cases, the proceeds of the event go to local charities to feed others on this day of Thanks.
Don’t just watch football. Play it! Get out there in that cool football-playing weather and play some flag football with the fam. Or just get out there and toss a football around before or after your Thanksgiving meal. (Or better yet, do both.)
Get your game on. If you have an interactive video gaming system (like the Wii-Fit or the Kinect for the Xbox), get a family competition going with one of its many games. Serious fun burns serious calories.
You can enjoy Thanksgiving and even a few food indulgences, that’s what the holiday is about. Just don’t forget to get active and MOVE before you GOBBLE!
Source: lifefitness.com/blog. Visit the Life Fitness blog for more health and fitness information.
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