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Work it out
Fitness trainer suggests ways to fit exercise into the holidays
SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY
 With Thanksgiving and Black Friday behind us and Christmas just ahead, many people find themselves too busy with shopping and other holiday activities to keep up a regular exercise routine.
“During this time of year, our lives can get very hectic, so workout routines can get disrupted or ignored,” says Natalie Lahnan, owner of Naples/Marco Island Adventure Boot Camp for Women. “It’s easy to say, ‘A few weeks without exercise won’t harm me’ or ‘I’ll catch up after the New Year.’ However, it will be more difficult to get back to exercising later, when you might have a few post-holiday pounds to lose.”
And running from store to store does not count as exercise, she adds.
Although finding time for regular workouts can be a challenge during the holidays, there are ways to stay on track, Ms. Lahnan says. It’s all a matter of good planning and motivation.
She suggests these six steps to holiday fitness:
.. 1. Try a bit of visualization. Imagine yourself on Jan. 1 — and beyond — after not having exercised for several weeks. How much heavier will you be? How much harder/longer will you have to work out to drop those pounds that piled on during the holidays? “Often, when you think of the consequences of your actions ahead of time, that will be all the motivation you’ll need to keep exercising,” Ms. Lahnan says.
.. 2. Break your usual exercise routine into a couple of small sessions throughout the day. Two or three 10- to 15-minute workouts, for example, might be more manageable than an hourlong session.
.. 3. Exercise in the morning. “It might mean getting up earlier than usual, but at least you’ll be done for the day,” Ms. Lahnan says. Plus, energized for all the you’ll be more other activities.
4. Choose type of exercise. Ms. Lahs trying High suggests Intensity Interval which is shorter “but extremely burning fat and shape.” erval Training, or ter in durationely effective at and keeping you in
5. Ban all But- time” I-don’t-have-excuses. Don’t into a trap of coming n’t fall comreau up with reasons why you can’t work out. Tell yourself right now e that exercise rour is an important part of your healthy lifestyle, and that you can and will fit it into your schedule, no matter how hectic it gets, Ms. Lahnan advises.
.. 6. Work out with a buddy or in a group. Statistics show that people who exercise with a friend or in a group are more successful at exercising consistently. “Make a pact with friends to encourage each other should one of you feel like slacking off,” Ms. Lahnan says.
Following all these points “will help even the busiest people keep up with their exercise routines,” she adds. “When all the holiday bustle is over, they’ll be glad they did.”
http://naples.floridaweekly.com/news/2010-12-02/Healthy_Living/Work_it_out.html
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