Keep Moving This Holiday Season
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season always concerns me with many ditching their workouts for parties and shopping. Not only is the food tempting this time of year, but so is making excuses to not get that even more important workout in.
You’ll be able to manage your weight better if you start an exercise routine or continue with one during this busy time. No one wants to carry around an extra ten to twelve pounds which is the average holiday weight gain.
Exercise is not only important to help you keep your weight down, but also your stress level. It amazes me how many people will get up at 4 a.m. to hit all the big sales, but cannot wake up a 30 minutes earlier to do some form of exercise. You will need the extra energy boost you get from exercise to multi-task and get everything on your “to do list” done. In a previous article, I talked about the benefits of interval training. Below is an exercise regimen that is both time saving and effective. What is great, is you can do these workouts with small portable equipment either at home or at the office. If you’re pressed for time one day, you can scale down your cardio to (2) ten-minute intervals instead of fifteen minute or (3) seven-minute intervals on Day 5 instead of ten minute. As always, check with your physician before beginning any exercise routine.
Fitness Answer Holiday Workout -- Efficient Workouts
For all of your cardiovascular activity, you can start out by walking if you’re a beginner. You can also warm-up by utilizing any type of cardiovascular equipment such as a treadmill, bike, elliptical trainer, or stepper. You will need a long resistance band with handles, a set of dumbbells and a resistance ball for these exercises. Each set should include 10-15 reps for each exercise, unless otherwise specified.
Day 1 Cardio/Back, Biceps and Abs)
Interval Cycle
• Cardio warm-up 10 - 15 minutes
• Stretch
• 2 sets each of back and biceps
• Cardio again for 10 to 15 minutes
• 2 sets again of back and biceps
Back
Band Lat Pulldown
Hold band overhead with arms straight up. You can adjust hands closer to increase tension.
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