With only a week or two left before most of us head back home for Christmas it’s likely that you’re already getting excited about the prospect of endless home-cooked dinners, a constantly warm house and the thought of not having to drag yourself out of bed to make that 9AM lecture. But this combination of amazing food and extra hours lounging on the sofa can cause many to put on a touch of unwanted weight that can make the post-Christmas blues feel that much worse. On the other hand no one wants to spend their well-earned rest time slaving away at their local gym or out running in the freezing weather. But have no fear, HCX has compiled a list of great ways to keep active at home whilst having so much fun that you won’t even realise you’re doing exercise!
1. Family Walks
A Christmas tradition for many, dragging the family out for a lovely walk on a crisp winter’s day is a great way to spend some quality time with the people you are now away from for the majority of the year whilst simultaneously getting you up and moving. You’ll gain serous brownie points with your Mum for making an effort and walking is great for your legs.
2. Go Christmas/January Sales Shopping
The shopping is manic both before and after Christmas so if you’re feeling brave face those crowds and shop till you drop! Dragging around bags full of heavy shopping will be sure to tone up your arms, and pushing past the hordes of people to get to that last size 10 dress in Topshop will be like a cardio workout in itself.
3. Play some Video Games
Even if you’re not a gamer yourself chances are someone in your family owns a console and a few games that will get you moving. Another great family activity there are a multitude of multiplayer dance and sport games that a group can play together, and depending on how much effort you put in this can be a real workout!
4. Go Clubbing
You’ll likely be catching up with your old friends during the break so take the opportunity to visit some of your old Year 13 haunts and dance the night away! Dancing is of course a great form of exercise and having a laugh with your mates is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
5. Rediscover Your Hometown
Whether you live in a rural village or a bustling city there’s sure to be places that you know and love that you are just dying to revisit. So grab a friend and have a wander! Perhaps you could go back to the park you played in as a kid or go and have a gander at your old school and see how much has changed. For an even better workout hop on your bike and head further afield to really re-acquaint yourself with your local area.
If you do find that you’ve let yourself go a bit over Christmas don’t fret about it, you haven’t truly made the most of your time at home if you haven’t over-indulged a little. But hopefully we’ve shown that it really isn’t hard to add a bit more movement into your daily routine and it can be a great way to bond with your family and friends. So if you find yourself in a bit of a slump once the big day has gone by just get up and do something, you’ll feel much better once you do!
Image Credits: guardian.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, scrandasmusings.blogspot.com