How to get back into shape after the holidays
After eating all the delicious foods that are so beautifully presented
and abundantly available during the holidays, it may seem a little
difficult to get back into your usual schedule. Getting back into your
exercise regimen is especially difficult if you were unable to maintain
your fitness routine. If you did continue exercising during the holidays
-- good for you!
For those of us who slacked a little during the holidays, proceeding
with your regular workouts may take a little extra effort. If you
exercise consistently and take a week or two off, you'll notice that
it's not easy to jump right back in to your routine. You may need to
modify your regular workout, because what seemed easy before may be a
little more difficult now.
But don't feel discouraged! This happens to anyone who takes a break
from regular exercise. Just remember to build up your resistance again.
Remember to warm-up before exercising as this will prevent injury, and
drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated. Before you know it,
you'll be back to the level you were at before you took your holiday
sabbatical!
Exercising for your health
In our loose-weight-quickly society, "exercise" has
become a bad word, making most of us cringe. For many
Americans, exercise is a series of monotonous activities
that aren't enjoyable. It's something we do and hate,
or avoid completely.
We need to change our mind set. Don't think of
exercise as a chore. Try to think of it more in terms
of activities you enjoy -- like when you used to "go
outside and play".
Healthy lifestyles are about changing
destructive habits and building good ones. You can't make
exercise a habit if it's doing activities that you hate...
So you don't like the treadmill, try taking your dog for
walks in the park or on a local hiking trail. If you
don't like aerobics, perhaps you'd find swing dancing
more to your liking. And if you don't like jogging --
inline skating may be more your speed...
The key is to
find an activity you enjoy and make it a habit -- a
healthy habit!
