The holidays come but once a year and enjoying them is very important. You don’t want to be the person who ditches the family to go to the gym, but you also don’t want to fly across the country to visit family and sit on your butt for five days. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can stay active and enjoy all of the annual celebrations without missing a beat—and maybe lowering your blood pressure.
Building activity into each day over the holidays can be done with a little bit of creativity and potentially a slight downgrade in what you might consider a “workout.” So, although the weights or the track might be nowhere in sight, you can still get exercise by:
- Scheduling a nightly walk with the family to look at lights. Lots of neighborhoods participate in Christmas cheer where residents decorate enthusiastically. Head out with the family, or at least a few members, and take a look! If it’s cold out, be sure to bundle up and maybe bring along a warm beverage.
- You can also keep your strength up by helping neighbors shovel snow. Offer your services to a few families close by, and you’ll be spreading some holiday spirit in addition to getting an excellent full-body workout.
- Head out skating, skiing, or snowshoeing. This is a great way to spend time with the family, get some exercise, and take advantage of the season.
- People watch. If you can handle it, hit the malls or the city streets to watch the Christmas shopping frenzy. The pace and maneuvering will be great for your muscles and cardiovascular system while letting you work on balance, agility, and breathing.
You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your family time or your exercise over the holidays. Finding ways to build activity into the holiday can help you have the best of both worlds and take full advantage of everything this short season has to offer.