The Festive Season and Your Health

The festive season is upon us – it’s almost Christmas!

Time for your work Christmas party and to celebrate with friends and loved ones alike. If you are like most of the population, we do tend to overindulge on food and those liquid calories.

This is also the time of the year we start to make our New Year’s resolutions. What we are going to do, when we are going to do it, and how. We plan, then think, and then we can overthink it, and then we stress out about it all when we have loads of yummy food and drinks around. It’s really not the ideal time if you are an emotional eater.

Self-care and acknowledgement will help you navigate your way through what can be a mind field of temptation, both good and a little naughty.

Why not try these 10 steps to help you through the festive season along with a little workout you can do every other day.

1. Fail to prepare or prepare to fail. That means being organised, it will help reduce the already stressful time of year. Meal prep, or just have healthy snacks on you so you do not eat the wrong option because it was convenient – remove the temptation.
2. Be positive and enjoy life and the moment with family and friends. Involve family and friends in what you are doing, they could have the same goals as you, and now you have a training buddy you can help keep each other accountable.
3. Look at the smaller things in life – smell the flowers or take a moment to enjoy our beautiful coastline of Newcastle. The ANZAC walk is a beautiful area to enjoy and provides some great exercise.
4. Tell your friends and family you love them and are grateful to have them in your life. Be mindful and enjoy your loved ones.
5. Don’t sweat the big things you cannot control, life is too short not to enjoy what you have. We cannot control everything, and life gets a lot easier if you understand this and just move forward with your journey.
6. Take time for yourself, even if it is only 10 minutes, it is still your special moment. Just breath, exhale the negative and inhale the positive, this will do wonders for your mental health. Time is precious, and you want to make every minute count.
7. Keep it real with your goals to give you purpose. What works for someone else, may not work for you, so take the time to figure out what it is that works for you to save time. Don’t set yourself up to fail, you’re worth more than that!
8. Try and do something active each day for your mind, body and soul. It will keep your head clear, and keep you motivated toward your goal.
9. Appreciate where your journey has taken you and what you have gone through to get here. Acknowledge your mistakes, but most importantly, celebrate your successes. Acknowledging your wins will help you stick to your healthy lifestyle by keeping you motivated.
10. Remember each day is a NEW start to life and can be a NEW change. When one door closes, another always opens for a fresh start. You are human, whatever it is you tell yourself you can be – be kind, be grateful and appreciate your life.

12 days of Christmas Workout

(On day 1 do #1, then on day 2 do #1 and #2, and so on)

1. 5 x box jump
2. 5 x butterfly sit-ups
3. 5 x push-ups
4. 5 x squat jumps
5. 5 x plyo lunges (each leg)
6. 5 x mountain climbers (each leg)
7. 5 x tuck jumps
8. 5 x 30-second plank
9. 5 x kick throughs
10. 5 x reverse crunch
11. 5 x frog squats
12. 5 x burpees

Repeat x 2

Do this workout and you will be well on your way to a healthier New Year!

Written by Jamie-Lee Donohoe
General Manager – Planet Fitness Lambton