Quickie Holiday Workout

The average American will gain just over a pound this holiday season. Not too bad, right? Unfortunately, it’s a pound that tends to stick around (around your hips, around your waist…), so that over several years, you’ve got several more pounds sticking around. Committing to a regular fitness routine provides the freedom to enjoy all your favorite holiday treats, but who’s got the time during this season of hustle and bustle? You do!

Try breaking your workout up and doing bits and pieces of it throughout the day. A set of push-ups here, a 10-minute walk there, a few squats here…Or if you have a block of 15-20 minutes, try this quickie workout. It’ll not only help prevent that holiday weight gain, but it’ll make your spirits bright (Ohhh…jingle bells, jingle bells…).

Warm-Up

Walk in place or walk around the inside of your house for three minutes, raising your arms up and down, in circles, and crossing them over your chest.

Walking Warriors

Walk, taking large forward steps in a lunging motion. Do as many as you can (depending on your fitness level, you’ll be feeling a nice burning sensation in your legs around the 15^th lunge).

Stair Climb

Walk or run up and down a set of stairs for two minutes. If you don’t have stairs either walk around the inside of your house at a good clip or use a fitness step and go up and down that. 

Push-Ups

Do as many push-ups as you can muster. If you’re a beginner, start by doing push-ups against the wall; progress to doing them with hands on the kitchen counter, then to the floor on your knees, then with legs out wide, and finally, with legs together.

Jumping Jills

Do jumping jacks for two minutes. If you can’t do them for the full two minutes, walk in place until you feel like you can do more.

Wall Slides

Stand with your back against a wall (you can also place a stability ball between you and the wall if that’s more comfortable). Your heels should be about 16 inches from the wall (so that when you squat down, your knees make a 90-degree angle). Slide your body down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the floor (and form that 90-degree angle). You now have two options: stay there and hold it for as long as you can or push back up and do as many reps as you are able to.

Squat Thrusts

You probably remember this one from gym class. Stand and squat all the way down, placing your hands on the floor. Thrust your legs out behind you, immediately pull them back in, and stand up. Do these for two minutes (if you need a break, walk in place—but don’t stand still!).

Dipsie-Doos

Sit on a solid chair. Place your hands on the front edge of it and slide your body off, legs straight out in front of you (if this is too difficult, bend your knees with feet flat on the floor). Bend your elbows and slowly lower your butt towards the floor. Push back up. Repeat and do as many as you can.

Skip to My Lou

Skip around your house for two minutes. Then walk at a slower pace for one minute.

The Plank

Get down on all fours. Bring your forearms down to the floor and your legs straight out behind you. From your head to your heels, you should be straight as a board. Pull your abs in toward your spine and make sure your butt isn’t sticking up. Perhaps the most difficult thing to do in this position is breathe, but make sure you do. Hold this position as long as you can, then push back into the Child’s Pose (knees come down as you push your butt back to your heels, forehead on the floor, arms out straight by your ears, hands resting on the floor. Take a few deep breaths and relax. Good job!

*Always check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.

Sidebar

In addition to formal exercise, it’s also important to make sure you continue increasing your overall activity. A recent Mayo Clinic study showed that fidgeters—people who simply can’t sit still—burn up to 350 more calories a day than non-fidgeters. That’s about a pound every 10 days! Here are a few ideas to get you moving more during this holiday season:

Go shopping. Going out and shopping burns more calories than sitting at home, shopping on the Internet. So get out there and shop (like you needed convincing)!

Park further from the store. Research shows that it won’t take you any longer to get inside the store by parking further away than it does for those who drive around looking for a closer parking space. Bonus: you’ll burn more calories.

Use the stairs, not the store’s escalator or elevator. Or walk up the escalator.

Return the shopping cart, either to the store or to the shopping cart return in the parking lot (those of you who leave them sitting in the middle of the parking lot know who you are!).

Be purposely inefficient. Rather than load your arms up with as many bags as you can, take just one or two at a time and zip back and forth into your house.

Carrie Myers Smith, has a degree in exercise science and health education, is an ACSM-certified personal trainer, licensed corporate Wellcoach^®, co-founder and president of Women in Wellness^TM, and the fitness editor for Fit Body magazine. Her work has appeared in many publications including Shape, Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Cooking Light, Health, Muscle & Fitness HERS, and Energy for Women, for whom she was a contributing editor and "Body Shoppe" columnist. In addition, she writes frequently for health and fitness trade journals, including both ACE and IDEA publications, and is becoming increasingly more well-known as a respected expert in the fitness industry. Her first book, Squeezing Your Size 14 Self into a Size 6 World: A Real Woman's Guide to Food, Fitness, and Self-Acceptance (Champion Press, 2004), has won acclaim from real women and experts alike, and received one of Independent Publishers’ highest ratings. "I love playing a role in helping women change their lives!" says Smith. "While I may be considered an 'expert,' I really relate to the average woman, having the same struggles and life challenges." Part of these challenges includes raising and homeschooling four sons with her husband, about which she quips, "Let's just say they give me plenty of opportunities to practice my coaching skills!"

In addition to her first book and workbook, Carrie also has the following books coming out in 2005 and 2006. Small Steps, Big Changes: A Day-by-Day Calendar and Coaching System for Total Wellness (Champion Press, 2006), Fit to be Mommy, co-authored with Bonne Marano, Fitastic Kids! (Champion Press 2006), Downsizing: Shaping Up Your Body by Slimming Down Your Life (2006). Carrie’s books are available through local and chain bookstores, online bookstores, and the publisher at www.championpress.com/books/squeeze.htm.

You can visit Carrie through her site womeninwellness.com or email her at CarrieMyersSmith@aol.com.