Personal trainer tips: How to survive Christmas

First things first, remember it’s Christmas; it’s a time to enjoy yourself and to spend with family. It is vital to remember to not be too hard on yourself, but also ensure you don’t go completely off the rails.

It is always a difficult time of the year with all the sweet treats, drinks and pressure around, however we have a few simple tricks that could help you stay on track:

Food

Allow yourself a treat. If you don’t, you’re going to drive yourself mad and who wants to be the person eating a salad all the time? Make a conscious decision about when and what you are going to allow yourself and stick to it. Stay on track with your nutrition plan the rest of the time; this will help to stop you from overindulging. As always, NEVER let yourself get hungry. Try and avoid saving your appetite for the big Christmas meal, eat normally throughout the day and you are less likely to go as overboard when it comes to that lovely Christmas roast dinner.

Drinks

There are so many Christmassy drinks around: from seasonal coffees and mulled wine, to the simple fact we just spend loads more time socialising and drinking over the festive period. Just do the same as with your food: decide what you are going to allow yourself and stay on track the remainder of the time. Be realistic.

Exercise

It’s always a bit more difficult to squeeze exercise in when you’ve got all the family in and around the house, but make sure you get at least one workout per week in that you enjoy, and allow yourself time to complete this. Also, you can pick some of your favourite exercises and complete them throughout the week i.e. Monday: 100 air squats; Tuesday: Walk 20 minutes and 10 push-ups.

Christmas is also a great time to fit in some of those lovely R&R activities and you get the family involved too! Go for walks, ice-skating, or even have a go at indoor rock climbing. There are loads of different family friendly options in and around Bristol. It’s also a really good time to fit in some stretching and foam rolling. We all tend to sit and watch more TV so use it as a timer. When an advert comes on, complete some stretches or foam rolling. You can also get the family involved with this too, you may be surprised at how competitive everyone gets, and before you know it you will be one relaxed, flexible family!

Remember

Give yourself a break! Don’t be too hard on yourself otherwise it’s going to be one long Christmas.

Plan, plan, plan. Make sure you decide when you are going to treat yourself and stick to it! Always be prepared with snacks when you are out and about and make sure to not save yourself for those big meals. Keep your routine as normal as possible.

Lastly, enjoy it! Make the most of the break and spending time with family and friends. Have a great Christmas :)

For more expert advice on health and fitness, you can get in touch with our expert personal trainers in Bristol by calling 0117 403 7600, or email info@efitbristol.co.uk

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