Working out on Christmas, stay guilt-free!
Christmas break is coming up and between the 24th of December and New Year’s Eve, our everyday routines will change completely overnight.
From regular working hours to training/eating/sleeping – habits, many of us will start the holidays with an irregular schedule. Christmas preparations, family & friends visits, as well as other holiday activities, don’t offer a lot of time for the usual training regimen. Whether you are a professional athlete or you just like working out, you should consider changing your training schedule and take it easy during the winter holiday, and here’s why:
It’s not just a cheat meal it’s a CHEAT WEEK!
If you are telling yourself, just like last year that you won’t eat your aunt’s chocolate cheesecake and you won’t have a glass of eggnog or a nice slice of honey-glazed ham then you are fooling yourself… AGAIN.
It’s Christmas and good stuff will land on the table in front of you, you will smell it and you WILL want to taste it, and there’s nothing bad about it because it’s an integral part of Christmas.
However, you have to understand that although your mind is ready to consume everything that your eyes see, your body is more than unprepared for it! If your celebration is composed of food/alcohol long night talks and lack of sleep then don’t try to hit the gym the day after! Trying to burn all the calories that you consumed just a few hours earlier will do you no good. Give your body a break, unless you want to suffer. If you can’t go without working out, aim for lightweights or light cardio but nothing drastic. Balance your workouts because your body already has to do a lot of work during feasting hours! Be gentle, enjoy the holidays and remember that few days of rest or easier workouts can sometimes be quite beneficial ;-).
It’s family time, and family comes first.
Staying fit for some of us is crucial, we can’t imagine a day without working out, whether it’s a holiday, birthday, or the 12h work day - it doesn’t matter. OK you may be a gym rat and there’s nothing bad about it, but Christmas is special, it’s the time of the year where your loved ones will do everything to meet with you and spend time together. So, it may sound rude, but don’t be arrogant and selfish, put yourself in their shoes and think how they might feel when you keep on looking at your watch during the conversation or you simply leave the table because you have to work out.
You may hurt their feelings without even knowing it, so this one time do it for them and sacrifice your gym time for the sake of family and friends; they will appreciate it.
Relax your mind, and you will be hungry for workouts.
Sometimes it’s simply good to give your head a break from the training life and Christmas is always a good excuse. You can still stay active but try to do things that are fun and maybe your not so fit friends can join you. Why not try things like trampolines, bowling or ice-skating? Relax, when the winter holiday is over, you will be fresh and ready to get back into beast mode!
Author: Anna Wierzbowska
Sources:
“‘Elf’ - Special Holiday Screening.” AM-24, www.artsmendocino.org/event/elf-special-holiday-screening/.
Sweet Home Premium Real Estate Theme, rainforestislandsferry.com/christmas-family-party.html.
“Fitness Friday: Build It and They Will Come Lol.” Impactwellness, 10 Jan. 2014, impactwellness.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/fitness-friday-build-it-and-they-will-come-lol/.