HOW TO LOOK AND FEEL YOUR BEST OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON
The back-to-back holiday stretch is coming up, and you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed and exhausted just thinking about all that lies ahead between visits with relatives, shopping, cooking, wrapping and more.
The good news is that there are ways you can take on the season so that you feel in top form to get the most out of it. If you plan ahead now as to how to best navigate your personal wellness regimen, you will reap benefits that can help you feel and look your best.
Stay on track with your exercise routine
Jason Kelly, Director of Wellness at Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex in Spring Township, Berks County, discussed key areas to place your focus. He started off by saying one of the most important tips during this busy and demanding season is to not put your workout routine on hold due to all of the distractions.
“I always recommend to keep going,” Kelly said. “You want to stay active and keep moving.”
Whether you are used to taking an active aging class, working out with a trainer or taking a walk in the neighborhood, Kelly, who holds a master’s degree in applied exercise science, said you don’t want the holidays to knock you off track.
“It’s always harder to start going again than to keep going,” he said. “This time of year is difficult for most — many tend to cheat, miss workouts and get a little sidetracked.”
The benefits of sticking with your routine will enable you to keep up with your grandkids when you take them to a holiday light display or spend the day out shopping for gifts. It also might help to keep you from getting sick so you don’t have to cancel any highly anticipated plans.
“Exercise is going to give you more energy and boost your immune system,” Kelly said. “You don’t want to get sick and you don’t want to not have energy over the holidays.”
According to Kelly, keeping up your regular exercise routine is also good for mental wellness as well as your joints, in addition to
to providing you with more energy.
“It gets you prepared for picking up the grandkids and shoveling snow,” he said. “It’s good to stay as active as you can.”
Properly hydrate
The next tip has to do with proper hydration.
“A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces,” he said. “That’s a good way to keep you hydrated through the holidays.”
In turn, Kelly said that with proper hydration you can feel and look better at a
time when you might want to look your best if getting together with relatives you haven’t seen in a long time. He also added even more benefits to good hydration.
“You will have more energy and it can help you with digestion,” he said.
Get adequate sleep
Kelly said that it is important to get enough sleep, especially during the holidays. It will enable you to keep up with the physical exertion needed to shop, cook and entertain so that you feel refreshed daily instead of more depleted.
“Without it you have an increased risk of getting sick,” he said. “You need good sleep to keep you healthy through the holidays — you tend to develop some type of sickness if you don’t get enough of it.”
Nourish yourself wisely
The last tip centers on food and taking the time to consider what you are nourishing yourself with over the holidays given it can impact how you feel.
“A big thing is to always eat fruits and vegetables as much as you can,” Kelly said. “At holiday parties, reach for fruit and vegetables instead of the cookies — one cookie is fine; you gotta live.”
The overall aim during the holidays is to pace yourself by staying focused on healthy habits so that you can get the most out of the beauty of the season.
“Eating well, sleeping well, hydrating and exercising will help you feel your best over the holidays,” Kelly said.