It is easy to gain weight when several holidays are packed into shorter days. But winter can bring a bevy of fitness opportunities while warming your home with succulent smells.
Healthy Winter Meals
Using a slow cooker, also known as a crock pot, allows you to make healthy meals when you’re not at home. Just throw everything together and when you get back, your home will smell delicious and dinner will be waiting.
Roasting is the simplest way to get great flavor without adding many calories. Vegetables can be roasted ahead of time and reheated for dinner. Serve as a side dish or add to soups, stews or chili.
Soup can be a low-calorie, nutrient-dense meal. Make your own stock using onions, celery, carrots and bones from a rotisserie chicken. Strain and add vegetables, leftover brown rice or low-fat protein.
Stews and chili are also warm and healthy options. They can be made in a crock pot, in the oven or on the stove top. Just add a simple green salad for a complete meal.
Incorporate Fitness
Committing to stay healthy throughout the holiday season is the first step, but to make your commitment a reality, you need to follow through and even up the ante in some cases.
Start and End Each Day Strong
Give yourself enough time each morning and/or evening to get cardio and/or resistance-training circuit. Even if you miss your workout because something came up, you won’t completely ditch your exercise routine if you can do at home exercises.
Turn Back the Clock
Everyone has heard the suggestions about taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking farther away at the mall, but what about turning back time this season? One day each week, pretend that you don’t have the luxury of modern-day conveniences.
Recruit an Accountability Buddy
Sometimes you need someone looking over your shoulder to stay on track. Link up with a friend or family member who you can check in with daily to discuss your healthy choices. Choose this person wisely! Find someone who has similar health and fitness goals and who is equally committed to staying healthy during the holidays.
Jazzercise has classes almost every morning at the MountainView Ballroom and our Strength 45 class twice a week. Call to check to see if you are on the Silver Sneakers plan and what our holiday schedule is for December! Call 520-349-4335; [email protected].