by kevin gardner, guest contributor

With the holidays quickly approaching, you likely have plenty of heartwarming plans to engage with loved ones and delicious foods on your mind. While you may be dreaming up all of your festivities, plans to stay physically active may be the farthest from your mind. People struggle with the holiday season for a wide variety of reasons, but a leading cause of holiday stress is a lack of exercise. If you want to stay fit this holiday season, here are five strategies that you will need.

1. Boost Your Energy Levels

If you struggle to stay active during the holidays, this may be due to a lack of energy. From the shorter hours of sunlight and colder weather to busy holiday schedules, you may be struggling to keep up. The last thing you will want to do is stay active. If you want to optimize your fitness schedule, you need to boost your energy levels. Consider focusing your diet on nutrient-dense foods, checking out thrive side effects for an added boost and making sure that you get a good night’s rest. This can give you the energy you need to stay active.

2. Avoid Overindulging

The holiday season often feels like the perfect time to indulge; however, overindulgence can lead to feeling sluggish and encourage you to remain sedentary. Try to be more mindful when eating by paying attention to your body cues and noticing when you are hungry. Instead of indulging to the point of discomfort, enjoy your favorite festive foods and then stop when you are full. Give your body the fuel it needs and enjoy the foods that will satisfy you this holiday season so that you can stay as active as you want.

3. Prioritize Exercise

One of the most important factors in staying active is prioritization. If you want to stay fit this holiday season, make sure that you make exercise at the top of the priorities list. Schedule a time every day that you can carve out time for yourself and your fitness. Whether this is before everyone gets up, after they fall asleep, or a time during the middle of the day, you deserve to spend time investing in your wellness, especially around the holidays.

4. Get Outside

Photo by Any Lane via Pexels

Instead of snuggling up on the couch after a delicious meal, get outside for some fresh air and a stroll. Not only is this a great way to boost your activity levels, but exposure to the sun and fresh air can help you boost your energy levels to be more active. You may be surprised at the difference a walk or two a day can do for your mood, energy and physical fitness. Bundle up with the family and enjoy the beautiful winter weather.

5. Spend Time Being Active With the Family

The holidays are the perfect time to connect with family. Your family can also be good activity partners. Get the whole gang outside for a walk in the crisp air, play a sport in the backyard or exercise together. You can even make the most of the season and stay active by going hiking or ice skating. Instead of sticking around to lounge and watch television, get everyone up and moving after the meal. You may be surprised at the boost in energy you get from quality time that you can all enjoy. Regardless of what activity you choose, enjoy quality time with your family as you invest in your health and well-being together.

Holiday fun can be immensely appealing, but do not let it deter you from your goals of staying healthy. As the holidays approach, this is the perfect opportunity to invest in your physical health. Although exercising can be pushed to the wayside, especially during the holidays, don’t let the busyness of the season get the best of you this year and make your physical fitness and priority.

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