5 Things to Stay Healthy in the Season

During this season one thing is certain There is a lot less work and more food everywhere. Its those tasty, delicious, mouth-watering, meals and even more delicacies and goodies. There are few things you can do to keep things in check:

1) Get your mindset right, keep your conscience light.

In this season you will no doubt enjoy food and lots of it. You could have late nights, sleep in, not have time in the early morning to exercise and all that is OK!. It happens, it's life. Please don't go on a guilt trip and also remember this period is not going to last.

2) Enjoy your food Responsibly.

I did mention go ahead and eat, but wherever possible try to watch your eating habits. Eat only as much as you need too - don't eat on feeling or out of gluttony.

3) Do some form of exercise or activity at least for 7-10 minutes everyday. 

Since there is less work, chances are you have a little more time and energy to exercise.

4) Do not ignore your rest. 

This season can come with a lot of events and visits which might actually make you tired. Remember to catch up on your rest and sleep well. There is a reason as to why they call this the Holiday Season and wish each other 'Happy Holidays.' Read this blog post I did a few years back to get more ideas.

5) Stay Focused. Stay consistent

Discipline never takes a day off. Yes there are occasional slip ups but you have to stay focused and consistent. Its your health and life that you are working towards. Stay focused and stay consistent.

If you know anyone who will benefit from this post please don't hesitate to share it.

4 Points for a Unfriendly Fitness Schedule

After all these years of training, I have realised there are training principles we have to abide by which must be followed to bring successful results to my clients.

Sometimes life does get in the way and we cant have a perfect schedule of training and diet. So here are things I have found that have worked with me and my clients.

1) Mini Training sessions:- If the 30 minutes or one hour program does not suit you then find a training pattern that does. I found that 'mini' trainings throughout the day work well. What does this mean? Do shorter, stimulating exercises throughout the day. This undoubtedly will lead to more work meaning more muscles to work and more energy expenditure.

2) Diet Strategies: I usually am not one to go with a 'eat this, dont eat this' approach. However what I do suggest and strongly advocate is finding the right diet strategy. Sometimes we have to re-evaluate our diets to suit our lifestyle. For example, if a client has a job where they are more actively involved, they would need more energy. If there are clients who have a more mentally activity and less physical movement, I definitely wouldnt recommend eating excessive calorie dense foods.

3) Exercise Selection: If we are with mini training sessions, the right exercises are vital. It does not make sense to say 'Walk for 5 minutes up and down the corridor' when you have 20 kgs to lose in a hurry. That might get a blood circulation going but its not going to be enough to crank up enough energy to challenge the body and muscle of any kind. We need exercises that

• Will challenge your entire body in about 10 - 15 reps.
• Thats doable in about 5-7 minutes.
• Thats safe movement and will limit fatigue.

4) Use events of the day: Find things in your daily routine and use those to your advantage. Taking a common example of walking - it is often suggested that if you can walk somewhere walk. Like take the stairs instead of the elevator. However if its for a distance, think about keeping a smaller backpack with you that you can load up with some heavier weight. If you strap that on and walk you now have an additional weight and your simple walk suddenly became more intense.

Of course these points are so simple we don't really think it will help until we actually do them. So here is my recommendation - Start. After this deal with the details as they present themselves.

This is based on High Frequency Training but also taking into consideration the lifestyle of a client. If the client is working heavily at a desk job, works nights and also has family commitments, I know they are going to struggle sticking to a 30 minute training plan.

I have practiced this myself and found they work. I have also tried them on my clients and they have been having good results. These points can crash nearly any reason that you have for not being able to have an exercise plan and a diet strategy going for you. 

Quick Fixes for the Season

We all know this season is real exciting and fun time. It also brings its own set of challenges to maintain your healthy lifestyle. Here are a few pointers to keep you on track with your health and fitness lifestyle.

Nutrition

1) Drink at least 3 liters of water a day.

2) Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.

3) Green tea and Warm water are the tow best things you can drink in this season.

4) Try and practice undereating whenever you can. e.g If you know you are going to be eating a big caloric and sugar dense meal at a particular time cut back on eating on the hours prior to that.

5)  Before you start a meal always go for a big helping of salad or soups.

Workouts

1) Be mindful of your posture

2) To stay active, walking is one of the best options you have.

3) Bodyweight Circuits, sprints, straddles and shadowboxing are the best toning and conditioning methods you have available to you if all you have are 10 minutes a day.

4) Keep workouts short.

5) Remember the best workout is one you will do

These points will keep you on track. Print them out if you have to. If you forget them do not panic or feel guilty- just pick up from where you left off.

Enjoy the holidays!!

You definitely know people in your family and friend circle who can benefit from these points. Go ahead and share it with them. You just might be the reason they find a change in their lifestyle forever.