Beat Holiday Stress With Exercise And Common Sense

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No one can deny that the holiday season is also one of the most stressful seasons. The holidays are stressful for many reasons, such as:

1. you have loaded up your schedule with too many events
2. you miss your loved ones and your emotions are heavy
3. you are spending money you don’t have
4. you are hosting or visiting family members you don’t get along with
5. you [fill in the blank with your stressful situation]

Life continually has stressful situations and life sometimes brings unavoidable stress, like during the holidays. Regular exercise helps you to deal with stress and bring your body back to the true normal state (or as close as possible).

Here are some of my favorite fun exercises to beat stress in any season:

1. Biking or jogging at the lake or trails
2. Walking to relax my body and clear my mind
3. Flag football
4. Bodyweight exercises
5. Racquetball

Here are my top common sense rules to keep holiday stress (and weight) in check:

1. Eat healthy meals every 3-4 hours to help maintain your energy during the busy season. You always feel better when you eat better foods. As for the holiday goodies, check out my holiday eating tips at www.mynutritionhut.com

2. Get enough rest! If you don't sleep enough, your body won't function as well as it could. According to research, that means about 7-8 hours of sleep every night for most people.

3. Don’t start a fad diet (ever!). Research proves that quick weight loss leads to slowed metabolism, a weaker immune system, hormonal imbalances, loss of lean mass, increased body fat, decreased energy levels, disrupted sleep patterns, short-term results and yo-yo dieting!

4. Unless you eat perfectly, you need supplements like multivitamins, fish oil, green tea, calcium, etc. Get that physical exam to see where your body is lacking.

5. I like to exercise right after lunch or dinner---like walk for 30 minutes. Why?

a. It keeps me alert during those afternoon "sleepy hours." I don't get sluggish or sleepy.

b. It burns calories immediately after I just ate the calories.

c. It keeps my metabolism and fat-burning enzymes "humming" during the day. Research proves that your fat-burning enzymes shut down when you sit down.

A calorie burned is a good thing. Try 30-minute walks after breakfast, lunch or dinner. They will help you control your weight better during the holiday season.

Do you have some holiday “stress-buster” tips? Comment and let us know. Happy (less stressful) holidays!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark is the owner of My Fitness Hut, Her Fitness Hut, Sports Fitness Hut and My Nutrition Hut. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s main site:

Your Fitness University http://yourfitnessuniversity.com

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.