Tips for Maintaining Health and Fitness During the Holidays

Here we are again, ready to begin another holiday season. The holiday season is a marathon of activity, and maintaining your exercise habit can prove difficult.

Outside commitments at this time of year often interfere with scheduling workouts. Missing workouts can be discouraging. You might even feel like you are failing in your effort to become fit and healthy. Some people give up and stop exercising entirely. Don't worry, there is a solution. Here are some suggestions to help you maintain your sanity and your exercise program during this hectic time of year. Physical Activity in Your Daily Life

At Home

It's convenient, comfortable and safe to work out at home. It allows your children to see you being active, which sets a good example for them. You can combine exercise with other activities, such as watching TV. If you buy exercise equipment, it's a one-time expense and other family members can use it. It's easy to have short bouts of activity several times a day.
Do housework yourself instead of hiring someone else to do it.
Work in the garden or mow the grass. Using a riding mower doesn't count! Rake leaves, prune, dig and pick up trash.
Go out for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both! Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.
Walk or bike to the corner store instead of driving.
When walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. Choose a hilly route. When watching TV, sit up instead of lying on the sofa. Better yet, spend a few minutes pedaling on your stationary bicycle while watching TV. Throw away your video remote control. Instead of asking someone to bring you a drink, get up off the couch and get it yourself.
Stand up while talking on the telephone.
Walk the dog.
Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance.
Stretch to reach items in high places and squat or bend to look at items at floor level.
Keep exercise equipment repaired and use it!

At the Office

Most of us have sedentary jobs. Work takes up a significant part of the day. What can you do to increase your physical activity during the work day?

Brainstorm project ideas with a co-worker while taking a walk.
Stand while talking on the telephone.
Walk down the hall to speak with someone rather than using the telephone.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way.
Walk while waiting for the plane at the airport.
Stay at hotels with fitness centers or swimming pools and use them while on business trips.
Take along a jump rope in your suitcase when you travel. Jump and do calisthenics in your hotel room.
Participate in or start a recreation league at your company.
Form a sports team to raise money for charity events.
Join a fitness center or Y near your job. Work out before or after work to avoid rush-hour traffic, or drop by for a noon workout.
Schedule exercise time on your business calendar and treat it as any other important appointment.
Get off the bus a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way to work or home.
Walk around your building for a break during the work day or during lunch.

Other ideas:

Work out with a friend. Many people find that scheduling workouts with a friend increases their commitment to exercise. Having someone depend on you is a strong motivator for visiting your club or just staying on track.
Join a class or program. The structure of attending a class at a set time helps you to set aside time for your exercise program. Group exercise programs are great for setting a schedule and holding you accountable for being there. Join our "walk it off" program. This is a casual walking program meeting every Mon, Wed, and Friday at noon here at the Central Building. We will walk the neighborhood for 45 minutes on each outing. Bring your pedometer if you have one.
Finally, take some time for yourself. Plan time to relax and enjoy the season. Rest in the whirlpool or schedule a massage or facial for yourself. The down time will help you get through the mad rush of shoppers and endless parties.

Keep Active:

Keep up with your regular activity through the holidays.
If you are unable to keep up with your regular fitness activities replace them with more spontaneous exercise. Go for a walk to view the decorated homes in the neighborhood. Take a break from shopping and quickly walk through the mall. Dance to your favorite holiday tune.
Go for a walk after a meal.
Plan group activities with family and friends. Like skiing, snowshoeing, or skating together.
Plan a family day to "make your own" holiday gifts for relatives and friends.

Enjoy the season.

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Mental Health: General Preparation for the holiday season

There are a number of actions you may take or changes you may incorporate into your life to add to your overall sense of well-being during the holidays.

I can't think of a better time to begin regular practice of relaxation and breathing exercises. Regular practice (once or twice a day) will ultimately give you an ability to relax more easily throughout the day. (3 minute exercise)
Expect the unexpected. Yes, you can prepare for the normal situations that you know will come up in your typical holiday season. But, the unexpected will occur. Don't allow it to take over. Remember that you cannot control everything. And remember that your recovery comes first.
Now, more than ever, you need a good support system, preferably one made up of people who you trust, like, and are good at listening. If you don't have one, it's easy to find one online, even if it's just a few people you email now and then.
In the midst of all your giving, giving, giving, remember to be a little self-indulgent. Does that sound selfish? Good! It's good to be selfish once in a while. Self-indulgent means stopping to look at some pretty holiday lights, just because it makes you feel good. Self-indulgent means getting enough sleep, even if you have to go home earlier than everyone else. Self-indulgent means taking that 10 minutes to practice a relaxation exercise.
Don't let anyone else tell you what you can and cannot do. Or what you should or should not be able to do. This doesn't mean that you should ignore all advice. However, don't let people push you into doing something you're not ready to do. If you'd like to be able to go somewhere or attend a function, and you don't feel ready, feel ok about not going. In any case, trust your instincts (that's instincts not anxiety) about when you're ready to make a move.

While it only comes once a year, the upcoming season can play a big part in how you feel when the New Year arrives. Start a new tradition this year: stay well, maintain and make these next several weeks what you want them to be!

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Ten Ways to Cope with Stress

Exercise regularly. Remember: stress is your body's reaction to change. It is an internal reaction, although external factors (i.e. work pressures) may trigger stress. Exercise can help your body release pent-up stress. It will also make your body stronger and better able to cope with ongoing stress. The best exercise for improving the way your body reacts to stress is aerobic. You have many options for aerobic exercising, from walking to racquetball. If you are just starting out, Start slowly! Try walking a little bit everyday, at first. Of course, always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regime.

Relaxation. Relaxation is mental and physical, but you'd be surprised how quickly your mind can relax if you can make your body truly relaxed. And, many of us don't know what actual relaxation feels like. I've written about relaxation in other features, and my favorite kind of relaxation is progressive muscle relaxation. In this exercise, you systematically tense each muscle group in your body, holding the tension for about ten seconds, and then releasing the tension for another ten seconds. The contrast is a great way to teach yourself the difference between feeling tense and relaxed.

Relaxation exercises must be practiced, preferably once a day. It only takes twenty minutes (even less as you become more familiar with the exercise). If you practice relaxation exercises regularly, you will begin to feel more relaxed in general (not just after the exercise) over time. In addition, you will be better able to perform "mini" relaxation exercises throughout the day, when you really need it.

Sleep Well. Not getting enough quality sleep can make your body extremely vulnerable to stress. If you have difficult getting to sleep each night or staying asleep, you may have a sleep disorder. If you feel exhausted all day or if you actually fall asleep at unexpected times during the day, you may have a sleep disorder. Even if you don't have a sleep disorder, you may be causing yourself problems if you don't get the correct amount of sleep for you.

If at all possible (and you might want to seriously think about making it possible), try to sleep the same hours every night -- including weekends. Basically, you cannot catch up on sleep, so don't try to cut yourself short on weeknights and then make it up on the weekend. Also, your body likes cycles (remember -- it reacts to change). Here's one cycle you have control over: your sleep. Start by getting up at the same time each morning, and adjust your bed time as needed until you have a regular schedule. It may be rough for a week or two, but it will ultimately help. I ended a frightful bout of insomnia by sticking to a regular sleep schedule.

Laugh It Up. I probably don't need to tell you that laughter can release stress -- but I may need to remind you to do it more often! Don't wait for humor to come to you. Sit down (right now!) and think about what makes you laugh. It's an individual thing, you know. Maybe you feel like you're wasting time by watching The Simpsons every week, but it's therapy! If you can't tear yourself away from the computer, go exploring on the Web. I guarantee you'll find something to tickle your funny bone.

Make Time for Fun. Somewhat related to #4, this suggestion is to give yourself some leisure time. It's not easy, and I'm not saying that it is. However, you need to do it. Again, you need to sit down and decide what is leisure for you. Whatever activity you choose, you must do it regularly, and you must not feel guilty for taking the time to do it. Explore a hobby, play soccer with your kids, take a drawing class, walk in the woods . . . anything. Just devote a little time to yourself (not necessarily alone, as long as you're indulging in something you enjoy). You needn't spend a lot of money, and you needn't make excuses to anyone for being good to yourself

SOME BRIEF RELAXATION EXERCISES

General Directions: For all of these exercises, it is best to be seated, eyes closed, feet flat on the floor or crossed at the ankles and hands resting comfortably in the lap. Begin each exercise with a deep breath that you let out gently. As you let it out, feel yourself beginning to relax already.

Gentle Arousal: After the exercise, slowly and gently activate by breathing a little more deeply, wiggling your fingers and toes, and opening your eyes at your own rate.

Exercise I

Relaxation is the opposite of tension. The following exercise can be a tool for you to use to control tension and enhance relaxation in both your body and your mind. It will probably be most useful to you if you or a friend would tape record the following exercise and listen to it rather than to just try to read and remember the various parts of the exercise. Read the exercise slowly with pauses to allow the relaxation to occur. If you do make a tape for yourself, please remember to use it only when you are sitting or lying comfortably at home or where you are not needing to be involved in an activity requiring you to be fully alert. Do not use the tape while operating any kind of machinery, including cars. One of the main activities suggested in this exercise involves alternatively tensing and relaxing muscle groups. Put enough tension into the muscles to make them tense, but not enough to cause pain. Feeling pain means that you are tensing too much.

Tension Reducing Exercise

Settle back and get as comfortable as you possibly can. Close your eyes gently. Tune in to your breathing. (Pause) Notice it's pace and rhythm. (Pause) take another breath, a little deeper this time, letting yourself feel completely calm, peaceful, comfortable and relaxed. (Pause) Now , with the rest of your body feeling more and more comfortable and relaxed, slowly clench your right fist. Clench it tighter and tighter and study the tension. Keep it clenched and feel the tension in your fist, hand, and forearm. (Short Pause) Now let your hand relax and go limp, allowing your fingers to become loose. Notice the contrast between the feeling of tension and now the feeling of relaxation. (Short Pause) Let your whole body go and relax even more completely. (Short Pause) Now bend both of your elbows and tense your biceps. Tense them hard until they almost quiver. Hold them tight and study the tension. (Short Pause) Now let your arms straighten out and drop gently to your sides. go limp, feeling heavy and relaxed. Notice the tension leave your muscles and experience relaxation that replaces the tension. Let the feeling flow and spread into the rest of your body so that you feel peaceful and calm. Feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed. (Pause) (From this point onward, pause where it seems appropriate to allow enough time for the tensing and relaxing to occur.)

Focus all your attention on your neck, your shoulders, and your upper back. As you breathe, imagine that you are releasing tension from your neck, shoulders, and upper back. With each breath you take, feel your neck, shoulders, and upper back grow heavier and more and more relaxed. As you release tension in your arms, neck, shoulders, and upper back, feel the wave of relaxation moving downwards through your torso, lower back and stomach. With each breath, you become more and more relaxed.

Now tighten and flex the muscles in your buttocks and thighs. You can flex your thighs by pressing down on your heels with your toes in the air. Hold the tension. Keep the muscles tight and tense. now let go. Relax and notice the difference as you let your hips and thighs relax and allow that feeling to proceed on its own until you feel completely and deeply relaxed.

Now press your toes straight out away from your body as if you were on tiptoes. Feel the muscles in your calves become taught and tense. Hold the tension. Study the tension and now relax. Feel the difference between the tension and the delightful, calm, peaceful feeling of being deeply relaxed. Feel the heaviness of your entire lower body as you relax further still.

If you wish, you can become even more deeply relaxed by merely taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. As you breath deeply, feel your entire body become heavy, comfortable and relaxed. Think the following thoughts to yourself: "I feel quiet. I am feeling deeply relaxed. My body feels calm and quiet. My neck, my jaws, my forehead are all calm and smooth. My whole body is heavy, comfortable, relaxed, and quiet. My arms and hands are heavy and warm. I am at peace." (At this point, give yourself a few more minutes of deep relaxation before moving on toward ending the relaxation session.)

(Ending the experience) Take a deep breath, wiggle your toes and open your eyes. when you do so you will feel refreshed and calm.

Enhancing the Experience

You can practice deepening this feeling of relaxation by taking deep breaths and releasing tension with each exhalation and imagining a wave of relaxation moving from the top of your head to the ends of your toes. As you become aware, through this exercise, of different muscle groups and how deliberately you can control the experience of tension and relaxation in your muscles, you increase your capacity to relax. In similar fashion, each time you practice this relaxation exercise you will find it more familiar and easier to use

Exercise II

Breathing Your Body Away. (General directions first). Gently focus your attention on your feet and legs. Be aware of all the sensations from your feet and legs. Now, inhale a long, slow breath, and as you do, breathe in all the sensations from your feet and legs. In your minds eye, imagine that you are erasing this part of your body. Now, as you exhale, breathe out all those sensations. Once again, breathe in your feet and legs, and exhale it from your body, so that, in your mind, you can see only from your hips up. Now, with another long breath, breathe in all the parts of your body to your neck, and, as you exhale, breathe it away. . . . Now, beginning with your fingers, breathe in your fingers, hands, wrists and arms, and exhale them away. . . . Now, your neck and head. . . as you breathe in, imagine your neck and head being erased, and now breathe them away. Let's go back over the whole body in one breath, beginning with the feet. A long slow breath in, and as you do, erase any little parts that still remain. Now, a long slow breath out, as you exhale all the remaining parts. Now, just sit quietly for a minute and enjoy feeling yourself relax deeper and deeper.

Exercise III

A Favorite Scene, Place, or Person. (General directions first). As you're sitting quietly, recall, in your mind, the most relaxing thought you can. Perhaps it's a favorite place (a vacation spot or favorite retreat of some sort; or it might be a person with whom you feel at peace, or some scene -- a meadow, or whatever works for you). Take a few seconds to get that in mind... Now, see or imagine that in your mind. Be sure to feel those good feelings you have when you are in that place. Just let them take over your whole awareness... If your thoughts wander, just take them gently back to that peaceful, relaxing place.

Exercise IV

Something for Use Anywhere. (General directions). With practice, you will become more adept at relaxing while awake, anywhere. As you do, here's a way to let yourself relax while going about your day. You can do it while walking, sitting in class, taking a test, on a date, etc. First, smile. Yes, smile, to remind yourself that you don't actually have all the cares of the world on your shoulders-- only a few of them. Then, take a long deep breath, and let it out. Now, take a second long deep breath and as you let it out, feel yourself releasing the tensions in your mind and in your body. Just let yourself relax more and more, as you continue whatever you were doing. (Gentle arousal).

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