We all expect to put on a bit of weight over Christmas – that spare tyre is what keeps us warm when we have to walk into Uni for exams! But with a recent article by the Daily Mail claiming that on Christmas Day the average person eats 7000 calories (I thought ‘only 7000? Some people aren’t trying hard enough’!), I thought it best to look at some festive ways to counterbalance the daily mince pie.
Charades
1 hour of Charades, a Christmas classic, should burn around 200 calories. Make sure you do a lot of moving around, laughing and outraged arm-raising to burn off the extra calorie. Laughing is terrific for your stomach muscles and your mental health so find someone funny to play with.
Sprinting up the stairs
Everyone has heard about short sharp bursts of exercise being the new craze; now you can do it yourself. Sprint up and down the stairs for 2 minutes, have a 30 second rest, and then repeat. Studies have shown that doing small intense bursts of exercise can increase the calories you burn throughout the day. The added bonus of this is that you don’t have to venture out into the cold and you don’t even need to put a pair of trainers on!
Dancing
Pop on those Christmas tunes and go crazy in your room. To burn 200 calories in 30 minutes you will have to be throwing some big shapes. Maybe add some housework into this – tidy your room for 30 minutes while dancing around it. This way you are not only being productive but are also burning off the mince pie you will treat yourself to as a reward for tidying your floordrobe!
Christmas Day Stroll
If you stay in the house all day on Christmas Day, you will inevitably eat everything that is in sight. So give your stomach a rest and head outside for a family walk. To get the most out of this, your ‘stroll’ needs to be more of a ‘late for the train but am in a public place so can’t run’ walk (you know the type I’m thinking of). A 40 minute fast paced walk will burn off around 200 calories, but if you’re escorting the grandparents, then extend the walk to an hour to make up for a slower pace.
Christmas washing up
Whether Christmas is being hosted at your house or you’re spending it somewhere else, there will undoubtedly be a sea of dirty washing. Offer to do it yourself, and then dry and put away the items. This is a double whammy as you will be standing up, AND getting some arm work in too. If the waters really hot, the steam will also make it look like you’re working up a sweat so you will essentially feel like you’re having a gym session.