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5 Easy Tips to Help Stay in Shape and Burn Extra Calories this Christmas – without the need to Diet in January:

By Dawn Morse MSc

Lets face it, with the extra demands on our time, parties to attend, presents to buy and food in abundance, Christmas can be a difficult time, to staying in shape and feel at our best.
As a result, many of us find ourselves lacking energy, feeling the bulge and setting new year resolutions which include dieting and exercise.

These five exercise tips can help you stay in shape, feel energised and avoid the bulge this Christmas.


Tip 1: Park further away from work and walk in:
Plan your trip to work and where possible park about a 5 minute walk away from work. This will increase your walking activity by 10 minutes a day and by 50 minutes over a 5 day working week.
With increased shopping demands over the Christmas period, think about where park at the supermarket. Avoid circling the car park to get the nearest space to the door and instead make use of those spaces in abundance at the back of the car park.
Walking for ten minutes each day will not only help you to burn additional calories, but it will also help to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and dementia, which are all linked to inactivity.

Tip 2: Take the stairs instead of the lift: 
Don’t spend your time waiting for the lift. Regardless of whether you’re at work, in the shopping centre or at the hotel for the Christmas party, make use of the stairs. Stair climbing is an excellent way to increase your heart rate for a couple of minutes.

 

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Tip 3: Take a lunch break and go for a quick walk:
It’s not only essential for the body to take a break from your desk, but it’s also great for rejuvenating the mind. Ensure that you take a lunch break every day and get up from your desk and go outside, even if this is only for 10 – 15 minutes.
Walking with a purpose to the shop or taking a couple of laps around the block can help to increase your blood flow and oxygen consumption. Ideally aim to walk for 10 minutes in total as this will help to refocus the mind and reduce stress and anxiety levels. Taking just 10 minutes away from the desk and going outside can help you to increase work productivity in the afternoon.

Tip 4: Stand up when talking on the phone and walk around the room:
Most of us spend some time on the phone each day, whether this is in the office or at home. When you’re on the phone, stand up and where possible walk around the room. This will help you to sound more authoritative and alert whilst increasing health benefits.

Tip 5: Make use of commercial breaks to be active:
Rather than sitting on the sofa during commercial breaks, make the point to be active during the commercial break for at least one programme each day. During the beak make the point of being active. This could simply be making a cup of tea, organising the children’s school bag or your work bag for the morning or even using the time to do 5 -10 abdominal crunches, squats or press-ups. These stolen moments of activity add up and before you know it you’ll be feeling more energised and keeping the calories off.

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By Dawn Morse BSc, PGCE, MSc
Owner of Core Elements Training which provides accredited qualifications and short courses in Sports and Remedial Massage and Sports Therapy. To find out more about Core Elements Training please visit: www.coreelements.uk.com