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t takes a sustained, high level of effort to burn only two, or three hundred calories. In contrast, you can consume four, five or even ten times more than that in a fraction of the period. The festive season is associated with parties, gatherings, happiness and joy to all; with that often means a lot of high calorie food and beverage choices on offer. This month we’re going to give you some prevention strategies to help you avoid excessive weight gain during the holiday period. Four Top Tips to Avoid the Holiday Bulge
Shorten Your Workouts A great way to maintain exercise adherence is to shorten your workouts to 30 minutes. A 30-minute workout is a lot more attractive to someone who is tired through work, or excessive socialising than a 60 plus minute workout. Make sure that your exercise program consists of effective activities such as interval training, circuits, resistance exercises using super-sets, and most importantly, stretching. Performing a variety of useful exercises will give you the chance to stay on track while all of the external influences around you appear to be working against you! Partner Up It’s no secret that training with a friend or exercise partner can help keep training fun, and relieve tension from the day’s stresses, while providing an opportunity to socialise. It’s very easy to get over not going yourself, if you really don’t want to train after a day’s work; letting down your training partner is a different story. Most of us would have been on both sides of that coin at one time or another in our lives, but having that pressure to stick to your word will help keep you focused and on track.
Self-Control It is really important that you maintain a level of self-control over the festive period. Using a friend or partner to help avoid a lot of potentially dangerous situations is also useful when socialising. You can help encourage each other to stay on track and provide strength in moments of weakness. When you do decide to fall off the wagon, you can also share in the joy of whatever it is you are eating or drinking, but be careful not to use this as a regular excuse. Driving to social events is highly advised. This means that you cannot consume alcoholic bervages, which are useless calories anyway. Alcohol usually leads to poor decision-making and food choices too, so it’s a win-win all round. Reward Yourself Make sure that you enjoy the season and allow yourself some of the pleasures that go along with it. Remember not to go overboard however and limit your indulgence of calorie-ridden items. An even better alternative is treating yourself to a day at the spa, or going shopping with friends, that way you know that your indulgence is of the healthier kind. Maintaining self-control is always key.
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