Bring on the holidays and all things pumpkin spice, evergreen and snow-covered with a healthy dose of stress and overindulgence on the side (am I right?!).
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE this season. After so many years of living overseas, I am thrilled to be spending this holiday season in Northern Virginia closer to our family. While this season brings lots of joy and celebration, it also dishes up a fair amount of stress. ‘Tis the season to forgo our usual exercise and nutrition routines for bubbly filled parties and heavy holiday favorites. So how do we survive the holidays with our sanity and our fitness intact?
First off, try to enjoy this season! If you would like to partake, don’t deprive yourself; have that glass of champaign and enjoy your favorite holiday treats. Life is just too damn short not to have a gingerbread cookie (or two)!
Plan, Plan, Plan
This is the season when we are all being pulled in a hundred directions. To get the most out of the season with the least amount of stress, you need to plan and prioritize your activities.
If you know that your usual studio and gym filled evenings will soon be replaced with holiday cocktail parties and family gatherings, find another time when you can get your sweat on. That may mean getting up earlier for a studio session before work, or a quick sweat session during your lunch break. Schedule out your sessions for the rest of 2019, and make fitness dates with friends. You have totally got this!
Trust me your emotional and physical health, and your family and friends will thank you later if you can make sure you are getting those stress-reducing, endorphin boosting sweat sessions in during the next 6 weeks!
Remember that scene from Legally Blonde when Elle (standing up for her client Brooke, a famous fitness personality, who is on trial for murdering her husband) says “exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.” Well, let that be your mantra for this holiday season. If you have a tendency to feel overwhelmed and stressed during the holidays, manage that stress (so you don’t shoot (figuratively) your husband, mother-in-law, etc) with some exercise.
If Pilates is your go-to endorphin boosting activity reach out to me so we can get your holiday fitness sessions booked out! Or try my Online Membership for fun and challenging Pilates classes you can do anytime, anywhere!
