4 Reasons You Shouldn't Miss a Workout During the Holidays
Tis' the season for skipping workouts. Between Christmas shopping, entertaining guests, and the abundance of holiday cooking (and cookies), we find every excuse to keep us from hitting the gym! But the reality is, that is just the OPPOSITE of what we should be doing! Here are 4 reasons why you SHOULDN'T miss a workout during the holiday season:
1. STRESS BUSTER! As much as I love the spirit and energy of the holiday season, the truth is, they can be stressful. The good news is, exercise is a proven stress reliever. A good workout helps you reset, refocus, and gives you a clear head to deal with even the most stressful situations.
2. MORE ENERGY! I know to some of you this may sound absurd, but the fact is working out GIVES you more energy. Ignore that negative voice that is telling you to stay on the couch! If you need a little giddy-up in your step, get to the gym!
3. LOWER YOUR CHANCE OF GETTING SICK. It's a horrible list of ingredients; lack of sleep, more stress, and increased holiday sugar intake (curse you holiday cookies!) all combine to create the unfortunate holiday sniffles. As few as 20 minutes of exerise can have an anti-inflammatory effects that boost your immune system. Make time to workout, so you are NOT making time to care for a cold!
4. BRAIN POWER! Exercise increases endorphins and endorphines make us feel good. Physical activity also stimulates the release of other happy hormones (dopamine and serotonin), reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation and stimulate the release of growth factors. Who wouldn't the added benefit of boosting your brain power? “Even more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions,” says Dr. Scott McGinnis, a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.
So....whether you are looking to sweat out the stress, energize your spirit, boost your mood, avoid the miserable holiday cold, or avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain, a CONSISTENT fitness routine can help. This holiday season, give yourself the gift of being committed to keeping your fitness routine in check. Don't let the holidays get in the way of what YOU need to do for YOU. It's only 30-60 minutes out of the day (4% of your day to be exact). There's no better gift you can give yourself!
FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW FOR A LITTLE INSPIRATIONAL POSTER TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
Tape it to your mirror at home as a reminder to stay accountable through this beautiful season:)