Brighten Your Holiday Season By Making Health Your Priority!
The holiday season is an easy time of year to overindulge and get out of your fitness routine. Stress levels tend to run high which can contribute to aches and pains and other health issues. Consider the following four steps to ensure you and your family enjoy a healthy and happy holiday season:
1. Make Healthy Food Choices
The holiday season is often a time of indulgence. But you can indulge in the sweets and special treats that come with the season without overindulging. Provide healthy options for appetizers instead of items very high in calories, sugars and excess fats. Choose smaller servings. The saying that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs is true! It is also wise to slow down how quickly you are eating. It takes time for your brain to realize your stomach is full and send you the signal. Have small pieces of dessert and not at every meal.
2. Keep Moving
Build movement into your holiday traditions. Whether it is building a snowman as a family going for a hike in Gatineau Park or just a brisk walk around the block, add movement into your routine. You can set a rule that after every meal, you go as a family for a 30-minute walk around the neighbourhood before having dessert. This will give your body a little time to figure out if you are actually still hungry as well. Make it a priority to get out for a run or go to the gym and maintain your exercise routine. Sign up with family and friends to take part in a holiday-themed run such as the Resolution Run. Preparing for a run will help to keep you motivated to work out. Doing it with family and friends will make it more fun but also give you an accountability partner.
3. Use Proper Lifting Techniques
Hauling a Christmas tree, and getting decorations down from the attic or up from the basement can place a lot of strain on your body. Remember to be safe while decorating your home or office. Using proper lifting techniques is important no matter the size of the object. Bend your hips and knees to the height of the object you are trying to lift. Keep your back straight and your shoulders back. Use your legs to lift the weight to minimize the strain on your lower back. We all too often see patients coming into our office around the holiday season as a result of improper lifting techniques. If you are experiencing discomfort, do not wait until after the holidays to have it checked out. We are open for chiropractic care, physiotherapy, and massage therapy during the holiday break.
4. Get The Rest You Need
Your body will still need ample rest over the holidays. Plan out what festivities you are able to participate in. Avoid overbooking yourself and your family! Lack of sleep can have a huge impact on your health over extended periods of time. General fatigue, poor mood, and more susceptibility to colds and flu are just a few examples. The more sleep-deprived you are, the more cortisol your body will release which will then make you feel hungry! With all the treats around during the holidays, being tired will make it just that much harder to eat healthier
We often take time around the end of the year to reflect on where we have been and what our goals are moving forward. Making health a priority is something that will benefit the whole family. But why wait until January 1st?! Start now with the decisions you make over the holiday season to bring in the New Year with the best version of you! We wish all of our patients a healthy and happy holiday season from our families to yours!
