Riverstone - Riverstone Fitness Director Offers Tips for a Healthy Holiday

‘Tis the season for sweets, parties and indulgences, which — if we’re not careful — will making a lasting impression not only in our memories, but also on our hips and bellies.

The average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day may vary from one to five hard-to-lose pounds, but with a little moderation and self-discipline, you can enjoy the season to the fullest without watching the numbers on the scale climb.

Riverstone Fitness Director Blake Crawford sat down recently for a helpful question-and-answer session on how to keep fit and healthy while celebrating the holiday season:

Help! I succumbed to pecan pie, pumpkin pie and basically any type of pie served during the Thanksgiving holiday. How do I make up for the indulgence and stay on track the rest of the holiday season?

Not to worry! The holidays are a time for a little bit of indulgence. So when you go off track a bit, just make yourself get up a little earlier and get a brisk walk or jog in to start that metabolism nice and early! The earlier you start, the more calories you'll burn during the day.

Desserts aren’t the only thing that will add more calories to my daily consumption. Holiday parties, after-shopping cocktails with girlfriends and celebratory happy hours are in the works this month. How do I stem the potential tide of calories from drinks and hors d’oeuvres? 

This is the time for partying and celebrating! Just make sure you do all of those things in moderation. A little self control will go a long way during the holiday season. To prevent cravings, make sure you aren't skipping breakfast or lunch. Plus, make sure your breakfast and lunch are filled with good food so that you can enjoy yourself a little bit when you want to have drink or two. Also, drinking a lot of water well help you feel more full than you are, so that fights off cravings as well!

There is so much going on this month, I’m just not sure there will be time to get to the gym. Do I just give in during December and start anew in January?

I know that this time of year is very chaotic time for most people, but everyone can always find 15 to 30 minutes to do some sort of exercise. Even if it’s every other day or just two days a week, make sure you get something in. I say this because if you just let go, that's when people gain most of their holiday weight. To stop working out in conjunction with eating whatever you want is a recipe for disaster. It’s a lot easier to put weight on than take it off! You don't have to do as much during the holidays, just maintain some sort of routine.

I’ve never worked out regularly at a gym. Is there anything I can do at home that would be both quick and effective?

Gyms aren't for everyone; so if you don't visit the gym regularly, that's ok! There is a program called Tabata that can be quick and effective. Just use the handy-dandy Internet to do some quick research about Tabata, then go to a database of exercises (there are tons), and plug in the Tabata formula. The workout can be as short as you need it to be and consists of only body weight movements if your body is the only thing you have available!

How do I encourage my family to stay on a healthy track while still making the holidays fun and special?

Keeping your family on track during the holidays can be tricky, but it can be done! First off, if you are making the food that is to be consumed, make sure you prepare them in a healthy way. Try to stay away from fried foods, recipes with a ton of butter or sodium, and desserts that aren't sugar free. When you make all the pies, make most of them sugar free. Don't tell anyone you did so, and see if anyone says anything about it! Chances are no one will notice. I also can’t preach moderation enough. When it comes to keeping things fun, try to plan activities outside after everyone's food settles. My family always goes outside and plays a game of touch football in our side yard. This is a great way of keeping everyone from being idle for too long. Plus, give family members incentive to stay on track! Maybe offer an extra Christmas present if someone maintains or loses weight during a certain amount of time during the holidays.

An avid sports enthusiast, Crawford has been doing personal training for three years and joined the Riverstone team when The Club at Riverstone opened in 2014. Residents at Riverstone enjoy full access to the club’s fitness center, which offers state-of-the-art aerobic and strength-training equipment, as well as fitness classes.

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