6 Healthy Christmas Habits To Keep Your Body Happy

The festive season is truly upon us, and with that comes the pressure to overindulge.
But when you’ve spent the whole year trying to build on your fitness, slim down and follow a healthy diet, it can be a real let down to binge over Christmas.
Everyone deserves to let their hair down and enjoy some festive treats, but how can you ensure you find the balance to keep you feeling at your best?
We’re coming to your aid with 6 healthy Christmas habits that will keep your body happy.

1. Drink a glass of water or soft drink between alcoholic drinks
Unless you abstain from drinking alcohol, the festive season always brings challenges when it comes to alcohol.
We all know that alcohol contains empty calories that can inhibit weight loss. However, drinking too much can also come with other nasty side effects like headaches, lethargy and even anxiety.
To hold off the Christmas hangovers, try drinking a soft drink between alcoholic drinks. If it’s water – even better!

2. Go on festive walks with your family
Over Christmas, everyone needs a breather, so it’s totally understandable if you want to pause your workout routine. A good way to ensure you don’t slow down any progress is to keep your step count up.
By keeping your steps up, even if you’re not sticking to an exercise routine, you’ll be able to burn more calories to make room for all those pigs in blankets.

3. Get a few good workouts in leading up to Christmas
The week before Christmas, it can be tempting to give up on your exercise routine early. But by getting in some solid workouts before Christmas, you’ll set yourself up for success and go into Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day feeling healthy.

4. Sleep well and rest up
Our muscles aren’t supposed to work all the time. Giving them a break can be a great thing, and may boost your motivation when you return to training in the new year.
Be sure to sleep well and rest up, to give your muscles and mindset some recovery time.

5. Stop eating when you’re full (little and often)
This one can be a challenge with so much delicious Christmas food around.
Aim to eat little and often, so you’re not restricting yourself from any food in particular but are having smaller portions and stopping when you’re full.
Don’t force yourself to overeat, or you’ll just end up feeling awful at the end of it. Equally, don’t restrict yourself either. Food is a massive part of Christmas and you want to enjoy it without restrictions, so just listen to your body and enjoy your food.

6. Book your exercise sessions in advance for the New Year
One final way to keep yourself motivated is to book your workout classes in advance for the new year.
By committing yourself to a few classes in that first week of Jan, you’ll be able to kickstart your routine straight away.
Check out our membership options now to start planning your return to fitness in the new year.