How busy are you this holiday season? If you are like most Americans, your schedule is probably stretched out to the max.
But no matter how hectic your life is right now, you should not take a holiday from exercise.
It might be tempting to slack off but it’s very important to maintain your fitness level as much as possible. If you don’t, you’ll regret it when January rolls in. Even though you may not be able to work out as regularly or as intensely as they usually do, some exercise is better than none.
It is important to remember that exercise does not have to be done in a big block of time. If you do three 10-minute or two 15-minute workouts, you’ll get as much benefit from them as you would from a 30-minute routine.
If you are creative and think out of the box, you’ll find fun ways to work out. Fortunately, you can incorporate some form of exercise, even if it is not your usual routine, into your holiday activities. The key is finding time-efficient workouts.”
If you can devote 30 minutes a day to exercise, try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which alternates bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity. It provides a good cardio workout, burns fat and increases endurance, so if you don’t have time for your regular regimen, HIIT will be very beneficial.
If setting aside 30 minutes every day to exercise is not possible, go to Plan B — find other ways to get a workout. There are plenty of opportunities to do that. You just have to use your imagination. For example:
■ If your holiday shopping takes you to the mall, briskly walk around the whole place once or twice before you hit the stores. You may not think of this as exercise, but a vigorous walk, which keeps you moving at a fast pace, is an excellent workout
■ At home, put on some holiday music and dance to it for 20 to 30 minutes. It doesn’t matter that your moves are not choreographed — after all, you’re not auditioning for “Dancing with the Stars”! If you move briskly to the rhythm and work all your muscle groups while you’re at it, you’ll get a great workout. If you incorporate weights into your dance routine, you’ll get even more out of it.
■ Also at home, do sets of muscle-building exercises that are not time-consuming but effective. For example, squats work your gluteal muscles, quads and hamstrings all at once. Push-ups work your chest, shoulders, back and abs. Lunges, like squats, are great for all the muscles in your legs.
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Natalie Lahnan, CPT, owner of Naples/Marco Island Adventure Boot Camp for Women, is a certified Adventure Boot Camp Instructor with 17 years of experience in the fitness & wellness industry. She can be reached at NaplesAdventureBootCamp@yahoo.com or (239) 776-2162 .
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/dec/13/holidays-neednt-intrude-fitness/
