Don't give into temptation this holiday. You can still enjoy yourself and stay healthy with these simple tips from Star Trac

1. Healthy Holiday
Survival Guide

2. All Year long, we
exercise, eat right and
and stay on track.
Then comes
Ho
ay liday
d e
HoliThn
sSeason
ao
Se
ay
olid
H
son
Sea ay
Holid
Season
Staying fit and active
during the holiday
season is possible!

3. Don’t let family dinners, holiday parties and
abundant sweets ruin all your hard work!
There are obstacles to overcome, but it can be
accomplished, with these tips on:
• Workouts
• Nutrition
• Survive the Parties
• Staying Healthy while Traveling
• Healthy Family Activities
• Managing Holiday Stress

4. Exercise
Slacking off over the holidays can diminish all of your
progress. Learn how to stay in shape while still enjoying the
holiday season.
Be Prepared
• write your workouts in your calendar now, before the holidays
chaos ensues
• schedule workouts early in the day
• recruit a training partner
• schedule a workout just prior to holiday gatherings to ease
stress
• have a “plan B” for times when you can’t get to the workout
• keep a log of bodyweight only and exercises that use bands,
so if you can’t get to the gym, you’re still prepared (like these
from @ACEFitness)

5. Pack fitness videos, comfortable walking
shoes, a bathing suit, tubes, bands or other
gear that you can fit in your bag.

6. Exercise
Try these tips for making the most of the time
you’ve scheduled:
• choose exercises that move as many body parts
as possible: squats, presses, dead lifts (See the
samples of multi-joint exercises @Livestrong)
• choose exercises that move the body quickly:
lunges, treadmill sprints and fast cycling
• chooses exercises you don’t usually do, for
example if you usually do bench press, try
standing cable chest presses
• create your own 30-minute workout combing
three lower body (squats or lunges) and three
upper body (push-ups or dips) exercises

7. Nutrition
During the holiday season, the average American gains
anywhere from 2.5 to 12 pounds. To prevent falling victim to
the holiday bulge, try these tips:
• keep a training and nutrition journal & write down your
goals for the holiday season
• drink water! water keeps our metabolism running smoothly
& aids in the digestion of food
• don’t skip meals, eat smaller meals throughout the day,
this will help curb your appetite at holiday events
• moderation! make some tradeoffs, go ahead and eat a
small piece of pie, but remember to think in moderation
before going for seconds
• liquid calories count, minimize alcohol and other calorie
packed holiday drinks (More tips here from
@WomensHealthMag)

8. List your top 2-3 favorite treats
during the holidays and
commit to having only those.

9. Surviving the Parties
Try these tips to save upwards of 2000 calories:
• rest up, recent studies have shown sleep deprived
adults ate approximately 300 more calories each day
• choose wisely from the buffet, you’re likely to
consume the largest amount of the foods you pick
first
• pour carefully, count 1-2-3 when pouring a glass of
wine will give you an approximate 5 oz serving, about
90 calories
• liquid calories add up quickly, a glass of eggnog
200 calories, a margarita 270 calories (More calorie
counts @WebMD)
• downsize your plate, choose an appetizer or salad
plate and save nearly 1000 calories
• move around the room, socialize or get up and
dance, 15 minutes of ‘social’ dancing will burn about
80 calories

10. Before the party have a small snack of nuts,
string cheese and a few whole grain
crackers will mean you're arriving at the
party satisfied already, not starving.

11. Healthy Travel
If you plan on traveling during the holidays, be prepared with
these tips
◦ pack healthy snacks so you’ll have something on hand when
hunger strikes @FitnessMagazine
◦ make sleep a top priority the night before your trip
◦ stay active, if you’re flying wear comfortable shoes and walk
around the airport while waiting to board, if you’re driving take
breaks every 2 or 3 hours to walk around and get some air
◦ skip the in flight cocktail and caffeinated beverage, your best
bet, drinking plenty of water
◦ plug in to stay on track, websites and fitness apps let you
track your daily exercise and nutrition
◦10 Ways to Upgrade Holiday Travel @HuffPost

12. Focus on friends and family instead of food.
Slow down and catch up with your loved
ones. Play games, volunteer, or spend time
outdoors enjoying the weather together.

13. Healthy Family Activity
The trick to staying healthy is to plan ahead and make
the season work for you:
•drive to a neighborhood know for the best holiday lights,
then spend the evening walking around enjoying the
scenery
• sign up for a holiday 5k or fun run in your area
• build a snowman, have a snowball fight, make snow
angels or go sledding
• visit a Christmas tree farm, pick out a tree, wreath or
greenery
• revive the Christmas caroling tradition, spread some
holiday cheer in your neighborhood
• more ideas

14. If you overindulge, get back on track, stop
eating for the night and focus on spending the
rest of your time with the people around you.

15. Managing Holiday Stress
The holidays can add a lot of additional stress to your
already hectic schedule. To keep the holidays happy, try
one of these stress-busters on an ‘as needed’ basis
◦ walk away - take a twenty minute walk, clear you mind,
enjoy the solitude
◦ volunteer, doing unto others takes your mind off the
stresses of your day
◦ consider a potluck for your holiday meal, host makes the
main dish, provides drinks, guests bring the sides (See more
from Food Network’s Alton Brown @huffpost)
◦ be flexible, things change, include some of your favorite
traditions in the holiday, but be open to trying new ones
◦ do not overspend! find simple ways to enjoy the season
without going into debt
◦ more tips from @huffpost

16. A little planning helps you take the necessary
steps to make the most of the seasons.
Happy Holidays!