{"id":11712,"date":"2024-12-16T10:55:07","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T09:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/?p=11712"},"modified":"2024-12-17T16:41:39","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T15:41:39","slug":"how-to-stay-active-over-the-festive-period","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/how-to-stay-active-over-the-festive-period\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stay active over the festive period"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]The festive countdown is on. With all of the preparations and social events that come with this, spare time can become increasingly limited, and healthy routines come into competition with lots of opportunities to indulge. However, before you set your out-of-office, let us help you to plan for a healthier December break.<\/p>\n<h2>How to find a healthy balance amidst the festivities<\/h2>\n<p>This time of year can pose challenges to keeping up with your fitness routine. But if you can maintain a base level of activity, your mental and physical wellbeing will thank you. Staying active is great for burning calories, combating stress, getting some fresh air, and improving sleep. <\/p>\n<p>The key to maintaining healthy habits over the festive break is flexibility. You don&#8217;t have to forgo every festive treat to maintain your fitness routine. Here&#8217;s how to do it without becoming a total Grinch.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Integrate exercise into festivities<\/b> \u2013 deliver local greetings cards on foot, or catch up with family by going for a walk after lunch.<\/li>\n<li><b>Mindful eating<\/b> \u2013 festive food is delicious, but you don\u2019t have to eat it all. Focus on portion control, and use the power of the pause to eliminate mindless eating.<\/li>\n<li><b>Prioritise rest<\/b> \u2013 it\u2019s a stressful time of year, so make sure you get some downtime and enough sleep.<\/li>\n<li><b>Stay hydrated<\/b> \u2013 drinking water (or sugar-free squash or herbal teas) helps manage appetite, stay healthy, and ward off headaches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What are the implications of alcohol consumption?<\/h2>\n<p>Unless you\u2019ve given up alcohol altogether, it can be hard to track how much you\u2019ve had when you\u2019re drinking at home, and you\u2019ll probably be offered more variety than usual.<\/p>\n<p>But over-drinking isn&#8217;t just about the hangover &#8211; it can affect your mental and physical health. Drinking too much disrupts your appetite cues, clouds judgement, impacts sleep quality and can leave you in a low mood. <\/p>\n<p>Have these tips in the back of your mind when the booze starts flowing:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>At home<\/b> &#8211; if you\u2019re hosting, have plenty of non-alcoholic options (and partake yourself). Get hydrated earlier in the day, and drink water between alcoholic drinks.<\/li>\n<li><b>At a party<\/b> &#8211; decide on a single kind of alcohol rather than mixing your drinks. Have water or a soft drink between alcoholic drinks, and be wary of your glass being topped up by a generous host.<\/li>\n<li><b>Going \u2018out-out\u2019<\/b> &#8211; decide how many drinks you\u2019re going to have, and stick to this number. Remember, nobody else cares if you switch to soft drinks (and there are great non-alcohol swaps).<\/li>\n<li><b>Have non-drinking days<\/b> &#8211; you don\u2019t have to drink at every social occasion. Be the designated driver, or simply say that you\u2019re not drinking.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Stay active with festive-friendly exercise<\/h2>\n<p>Family gatherings and social occasions might throw your routine off, but whether you\u2019re at home or staying elsewhere, there are many ways to incorporate physical activity into your festive routines with minimal hassle.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Home workouts<\/b> \u2013 use apps or online videos to do quick workouts in any room. Bodyweight sessions are plenty, or get creative if you\u2019ve got dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands.<\/li>\n<li><b>Workouts on the go<\/b> \u2013 if you\u2019re travelling over the festive break, pack shoes for morning runs or walks, plus a set of resistance bands. Get your cardio by exploring the local area, and do resistance band workouts in your room.<\/li>\n<li><b>Exercise with others<\/b> \u2013 the festive period is a great time for family-friendly activities like long walks, kickabouts in the park, or a run or hike if your lot are up for it! There\u2019s usually at least one other person in every festive get-together who can be persuaded to do something active!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Master time management for a healthier break<\/h2>\n<p>The build-up to the holidays is bound to disrupt your routine, but you don\u2019t need to workout for hours to reap the physical and mental benefits of exercise.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Short workouts<\/b> \u2013 10-15 minutes of higher intensity exercise can burn calories, boost your mood, and tap into the health benefits of exercise. This might be a fast run, a bodyweight circuit, or a HIIT workout you find online.<\/li>\n<li><b>Early mornings<\/b> \u2013 get it done first thing so the day can\u2019t take over. Get up 30-45 minutes before the rest of the household and go for a walk, run, do a home workout, yoga session, or get to the gym.<\/li>\n<li><b>Outdoor exercise<\/b> \u2013 it\u2019s not always easy to maintain your gym routine over Christmas, so get creative with outdoor exercise. Run, hike, bike, or meet friends for a makeshift bootcamp in the park \u2013 it all counts.<\/li>\n<li><b>Walk for health<\/b> \u2013 walking is one of the easiest ways to stay active, and has a host of health benefits. Aim for 8,000+ steps a day in one long walk or several short ones.<\/li>\n<li><b>Stretch it out<\/b> \u2013 when you\u2019re watching that festive TV special, roll out your yoga mat and enjoy 20-30 minutes of stretches to ease aching muscles, calm your mind, and give your digestive system a helping hand.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Set your keystone habits<\/h2>\n<p>Keystone habits are small, positive behaviours that you find easy to maintain. By sticking to your keystone habits no matter what, you\u2019ll stay close to your healthy routine and form a foundation for habit stacking.<\/p>\n<li><b>How you start the day<\/b> \u2013 keystone habits are especially useful in the morning. Decide how you want to start each day, choosing actions you\u2019ll find easy. A glass of water, a stretch session, journaling, 5 minutes outside, a short walk?<\/li>\n<li><b>Sleep habits<\/b> \u2013 your usual sleep routine might be disrupted, but you can set keystone habits around not having your phone in the bedroom or your bedtime cut-off point.<\/li>\n<li><b>Mindful eating<\/b> \u2013 keystone habits around eating help manage your health and wellbeing. These might be eating protein with every meal, fruit and veg every day, sober days, or whatever works for you.<\/li>\n<li><b>Move your body<\/b> \u2013 come up with keystone habits around exercise and activity, making sure they are things you can easily do every day. Ideas include 5 minutes of stretching when you wake up, an outdoor walk, and a set number of steps.<\/li>\n<li><b>Habit stack<\/b> \u2013 keystone habits are ingrained and easy. Habit stacking is when an easy habit acts as a trigger for extra layers of positive behaviours. For example, if your keystone habit is drinking a glass of water in the morning, you could habit stack 5 minutes of stretching as you drink that glass of water.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Wishing you a healthy holiday period<\/h2>\n<p>The festive period is different for everyone. Whether you\u2019re rushed off your feet driving the length and breadth of the country, or staying at home, take small steps to make the holidays a little healthier. Not only will it help you feel physically and mentally better at the time, but it\u2019ll act as a springboard for better results in the New Year.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-size: 18px; text-align: right;\"><em>Has your employer reviewed their fitness benefits recently? Get discounted access to our network of fitness venues as an employee benefit- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/employees\"><b> refer your HR team.<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"font-size: 18px;\">\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The festive countdown is on. With all of the preparations and social events that come with this, spare time can become increasingly limited, and healthy routines come into competition with lots of opportunities to indulge. However, before you set your out-of-office, let us help you to plan for a healthier December break. How to find [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":11740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,110,78],"tags":[],"acf":[],"infloai":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Stay Active Over the Festive Period | The Hussle Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to stay active over the festive period - Find Out More And Visit Hussle Today For Gym Passes &amp; Memberships Near You.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/how-to-stay-active-over-the-festive-period\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Stay Active Over the Festive Period | The Hussle Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to stay active over the festive period - Find Out More And Visit Hussle Today For Gym Passes &amp; 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Nicola is an accomplished amateur athlete, having swum the English Channel twice, done a few marathons and triathlons, competed as a bodybuilder and powerlifter, and now trains at a Crossfit gym.","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/neil@hussle.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/author\/nicola-joyce\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/how-to-stay-active-over-the-festive-period.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11712"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11712"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11738,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11712\/revisions\/11738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}