As we all know, everyone loves peanut butter blossom cookies and home cooked meals while they are home for Christmas break. With busy schedules during the semester, Christmas break may be the time to kick up your feet and take a breather. For others, you may have a jam packed schedule working and taking online winter classes. Either way, during the winter months, especially around the holidays, it is common that many gain weight. So, if you are trying to avoid packing on the extra pounds this holiday, be sure to follow these tips to stay motivated to work it out and eat right.
1) Gym memberships aren’t cheap and if you are only home for a month this option may not be in your deck of cards, but there are many other options for at home workouts. First, if you have Comcast, you may have On Demand, where you can find FREE workouts from trained professionals for abs, legs, arms and even cardio. Check them out!!
2) If you have a cell phone, Ipad/tablet or Laptop, create a Pinterest account and starting pinning away health and fitness ideas and tips. Pinterest has thousands of workouts and simple healthy recipes that you can try. This way, you can still have a slice of Grandma’s famous cheesecake and not feel guilty.
3) It’s cold outside and snowing, you definitely don’t want to go for a run. If you’re trying to stay warm and toasty this break, check out your local high school, community center, or YMCA. You may be able to find open gym hours for FREE. So, grab a couple of friends or family members and play a few games of basketball or volleyball. Both sports are great aerobic exercise and even help to tone muscles.
4) Are you in the mood to go bowling or golfing? Try playing Wii sports! If your family owns a Wii device, you can burn away the extra calories by playing many different games right on your TV! If sports aren’t your thing, call your local library and see if they have Wii games available. You could grab Just Dance 1, 2, or 3 and dance the night away with hottie Justin Timberlankes voice filling the room.
5) Be open to substitutions. If you want to make your famous holiday dishes a bit healthier, try using the Greek yogurt, Chobani, to replace butter, oil, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese and buttermilk. By making substitutions with your recipes you will save yourself extra intakes of fats, trans fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. Chobani is a high-quality yogurt that is made with only natural ingredients. It’s a simple swap for tons of recipes and coupons can be found online for this yummy product.