Striking Balance During the Holidays by Rosie

Yes, the holidays have arrived and, with it, the all-too-tempting tendency to derail from your otherwise healthy lifestyle routine. But you don’t have to quite let go of what you’ve worked so hard for all year long. Here are a few tips to stay mindful through the coming days and weeks:

Create a support structure.

Find a partner (if you don’t already have one) to hold you accountable. That person can be a friend, a family member, a co-worker. Make sure it’s someone who is willing to pull his/her own weight and is interested in empowering and experiencing success together. 

Plan your workouts around parties and vacations and adhere to them.

Show up for yourself and make sure that you listen to what your own body needs. For example, if you have a strength workout planned, but you feel like you need to restore that day, then be flexible and give it what it’s asking for. 

Be active every day, incorporating 6 moves that you can do anywhere and anytime, along with the general breakdown below. 

2-3/wk strength

2-3/wk cardio

1-2/wk restorative (yoga/Pilates)

Assess the situation.

Most likely, you’ve been invited to at least a few holiday events. Upon arrival to the party, assess the food and beverages and go for the healthiest offerings. This will help minimize over-indulgence.

Prep and incorporate healthy snacks into your daily routine.

Stick to nutrient-dense, live foods as much as possible and prep when your willpower is high. This will help balance out the goodies in between parties. 

Example: Take a few hours to prep meals/fresh veggies for the week in advance and make it your only option. 

Hydrate in between alcoholic beverages, and skip that last drink.

Those empty calories will add up quickly. My secret: I love to drink Pellegrino topped off with fresh lemon or lime. That way, no one really knows if I’m drinking or not, and I stay hydrated!

Create ‘me’ time.

Involving yourself with many groups of people can be exhausting. Take time to recharge by taking ownership of your physical space, meditation and rest/sleep. 

This is a time for celebrating with your family, friends and loved ones. Do your best to stay balanced with the help of your support system, and don’t beat yourself up for enjoying a bit of fun and healthy indulgence.