Hello everyone! Sir Post-A-Lot here wishing all you lovely people a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but the feast has been aplenty, and the merriment does seem to not end. Not that I’m complaining, tally ho and all that jazz!
But alas, my suit of armour is starting to show some signs of, shall we say, strain. It must be all this darn rain that we’re getting, the armour must be shrinking! Yes, that must be it!
But it does seem that my fellow peers at The Mind are a little less inclined with my explanation, and the blame it on the, ah, indulgences that I’ve consented to. Perhaps that may be the case, but I still like the shrinking armour theory!
But if you concur with those pesky mates of mine, and if you’re in a similar predicament of shrinking garments as I am, our very own Sports Psychologist Sin Eu gives us some good ideas on how to keep those holiday pounds at bay! So as we head into the end of the year, and we stuff ourselves silly, read on below to see if you can try and keep those inches off!
In the mean time, I’m going to figure out how to expand my armour. Have a good one all!
The festive season is here! That means, to many of us (I know I for one belong in this category), there will be many indulgence in feasts and parties. This would probably equal a lot of calories, and many stressed out belt buckles and waistlines.
Isn’t it always the case then, that after the fact, the guilt trip kicks in. You feel stressed about the kilograms that you have gained and how are you going to lose them in time for the new year.
But all is not lost. There are many things that we can do, either pre or post massive feast to keep those waistlines in check, and the belts wearable. While vigorous exercises such as Tabata, CrossFit, or even a high intensity run can be helpful, ultimately the key point comes to how you can initiate, push yourself and stay motivated to get into a festive routine.
Set Goals and Plans
As it is the festive season, there are times when your exercise routines will be altered. Gyms could be closed or you need to travel. As such, planning is crucial. Set goals and schedules for the week revolving your holiday plans. Improvisation on training (for example, running at a nearby park rather than the usual treadmill) can be refreshing.
Here’s a tip that you can do as a pre-emptive measure to manage your holiday diet. A short, intense burst of exercise before meals can provide you with a metabolic boost. How intense you ask? A recent study has shown that a 45 minute routine can increase your metabolic rate for 14 hours. In the study, the participants burned an extra 190 calories throughout the day in addition to the 519 calories burned in their cycling exercise routine. That is 37% more calories! So, if you know that you are going that a feast is waiting for you for New Years Eve, you can plan ahead with for this exercise the day before.
Training Partners
A boon for training is always a partner in crime. This way, not only do you stay motivated, you can keep each another honest. If you are travelling, you can plan for activities involving everyone, like playing a group Frisbee game or going for a hike. Not only will you be able to stay active, you get the chance to communicate and bond with family and friends.
Short and Crisp
While on holiday, there’s a whole laundry list of things that you will need to attend to. It makes sense then to adjust your usual exercise routine to fit around the holiday festivities. For example, instead of a 2 hour gym session of your usual sets, you can compress the routines into short bursts. Used to doing 3 sets of 10 push-ups typically? Go for an intense 30 push-up set instead and then off you go. Keep breaking up your usual routine and before you know it, you’ll have spread out your entire routine over an entire day.
Packing Right
When preparing for a trip, one useful trick to play on ourselves is classical conditioning. Classical conditioning essentially plays on the fact that our minds pair certain stimuli with certain events. For example, if your mom is famous for her nasi lemak, the instant your nose gets a waft of that lovely santan, you’re going to start salivating in anticipation of the gorgeous food you’re about to inhale, even before you actually see or taste it.
We can use that same trick for our holiday fitness regime as well. Bring along your favourite sporting attire and running shoes and place them at the top of your bag. The instant you open up your bag when you arrive at your destination, you’re going to see your gear, and automatically, your mind is going to get into work out mode, and that’ll make things all the more easier.
Indulge/Resist
Last but not least, be kind to yourself! It is the holidays after all. It wouldn’t be right for you to anticipate the glorious delicacies and dishes all year long, only for you to stare at it longingly because it doesn’t fit into your meal plan. Once in awhile, it pays to be kind to yourself, and perhaps indulge a little.
Here’s the catch, resist after you indulge! Paradoxical I know, but hear me out. What I mean by this is for you to have that piece of food that you’ve been craving all year long, but limit yourself to just the one serve. Love your rendang? Go for it! But limit yourself to one piece of meat. Perhaps some trifle pudding is more up your alley, go ahead and take a heaping spoonful, but that’s it.
Once you do, run! I kid, but not by much. Once you’ve had your serve, leave the table, or go on ahead and do something else. Distract yourself from temptation, and that way you won’t be tempted to go back for seconds, or thirds, or the whole cake.
Enjoy! At the end of the day, just remember that the holidays are not a death sentence to your fitness regime. You just have to work around it, and with some good planning ahead, there’s no reason why you can power your way through the holiday period, and still look as fantastic as ever.
So Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy New Year! Sin Eu signing off!