Enjoy Christmas but keep an eye on your health and fitness too, with these motivational tips from the experts
Spent a good deal of 2011 losing weight and getting in shape? Don't let it all go to waste over Christmas.
We all want to have fun and loosen up a bit but there's no reason to let yourself go completely: it will only make up for a bigger mountain to climb come the New Year...
We asked some fitness and nutrition experts how to best limit the damage over the festive season. Here's what they recommend.
- Squeeze exercise into every opportunity. Take the stairs, get off the Tube or bus one stop earlier, or even dance harder & for longer. Jon Stratford, Zest magazine's fitness expert
- Make a plan: Don't be tempted to put your fitness regime on hold for the whole Christmas period. Scale it down but don't drop it. Plan a workout schedule and stick to it, to keep yourself ticking over. So when it comes to January and everyone is in the 'weight loss' zone, you'll already be one step ahead! Justin Way, Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert from Pure Gym
- Follow every glass of alcohol that you drink with a glass of water to help keep you hydrated and fill you up. Matt Swierzynski, Personal Trainer
- Restrict treats to Christmas, not half of January too! Rhiannon Lewis, Personal Trainer and nutrition advisor
- Slip in a 20-minute high-intensity session at home doing body weight exercises to prevent treat-induced guilt from setting in. Jon Stratford, Zest magazine's fitness expert
- Choose a chestnut or fruit-based stuffing rather than sausage which is high in saturated fat. DivineNutrition.co.uk
- Enjoy the Quality Street, just remember each one is about 50 cals... Derran Langston of Real World Fitness, Nottingham
- Don't skip breakfast! Start each day with good nutritious foods. Fruit, porridge, yogurt, eggs are all good options. SG Pilates, London
- Aim to go for a family walk, play as a family on the wii, dance, run up and down the stairs 5-10 times. Matt Swierzynski, Personal Trainer
- Remember the festive season isn't all about food! Bring it back to time off with family and friends. Rebecca Maslin, Personal Trainer at Revolution PTS, London
- Don't always grab for the chocolates, choose nuts (not the salted kind) and fruit (not chocolate orange!) sometimes instead. Jon Stratford, Zest magazine's fitness expert
Got your own tips? Add them below...
