5 HOLIDAY EXERCISES TO KEEP YOU FEELING MERRY AND BRIGHT

Festive fitness tricks and bonus tips so you can stay active and stress free this holiday season. The holiday season is here! And with it comes cookies, gift exchanges and festive decorations. But just because it’s easy to get swept up by the hectic festivities, doesn’t mean you have to neglect your healthy lifestyle. Lucky for you, we have just the solution for staying healthy this holiday season, and it starts with exercise.

Why exercise? For one, it helps you de-stress. Stress is normal (especially during the holiday season), and though it’s impossible to get rid of it completely, studies show that exercise is a great way to manage stress. Exercise has even been shown to improve your mental health! Exercise produces endorphins that reduce fatigue, improve concentration and awareness, and helps out with sleep—all great when it comes to battling stress. In other words, when your body feels better, your mind feels better too.

You can help your body feel better by also putting a focus on your food intake during the holidays. We’re not telling you to say no to Mom’s homemade pie (we aren’t monsters), we’re just suggesting you’ve got a good balance of healthy options and sweets. Combining this focus on exercise and healthy eating can help you avoid holiday weight gain and even get a jumpstart on a happy, healthy New Year! So, try these exercises for yourself—and enjoy a few bonus tips, too.

The key to holiday exercise? Make it fun! This festive fitness routine will give you a full-body workout in the time it takes for the cookies to bake. All you need is one piece of equipment—the TheraBand® CLX™ band. This resistance band has connected loops, which means you don’t have to tie it and you can get really creative with your moves!

Try our five exercise HO-HO-HOliday Routine to hit your activity quota, right at home.

1. REINDEER ROWS (UPRIGHT ROW)
• Place your feet in the center loops of the CLX band.
• Grab the end loops of the band, holding the end attached to your left leg in your left hand, and the end attached to your right leg in your right
• Keeping your knees slightly bent, lift your hands straight up to your chin.
• Your hands should stay close to your body, with knuckles facing down.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat.

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2. SANTA BAG THROWS (WOODCHOP)
• Place your feet in the center loops of the CLX band.
• Grab the end loops of the band with both hands (keep your hands together).
• With your arms straight out, lead with your right hip, turning away from your left side until your arms are at a 180-degree angle from the starting point.
• Hold, then slowly return to start.
• Switch sides.

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3. TREE TOPPER (KICKBACK AND ARM EXTENSION)
   • Place your feet in the center loops of the CLX band.
   • Grab the end loops of the band.
   • Bend forward slightly, and bring your arms to 90 degrees.
   • Keep your right arm at your side, and fully extend your left arm forward, reaching towards the ceiling.
   • While reaching forward, simultaneously kick back the opposite leg.
   • Hold, then slowly return to start.
   • Switch sides.

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4. CANDY CANE CURLS (BICEP CURLS)
• Place your feet in the center loops of the CLX band, and grab the end loops of the band.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and elbows at your sides, with your palms facing up.
• Bend your elbows and bring your hands all the way up to shoulder height. Be sure to keep your elbows tucked at your sides.
• Bring your arms all the way down, extending your elbows.
• Repeat by bringing your hands back up to shoulder height
• Continue the movement until the exercise is complete.

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5. PRESENT PICK UP (GOOD MORNING)
• Place your feet in the center of loops of the CLX, with feet shoulder width apart.
• Grab the end loops of the band and bring your hands to shoulder height (so that there is no slack)
• Keeping your elbows and back straight, bend forward from the hips with your knees straight. Be sure to bend at the hips, not back.
• Slowly return to an upright position against the tension of the band, then repeat.

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EAT HEALTHY

Whether you’re gobbling up big family meals or snacking at end-of-the-year office parties, the holiday season means high-calorie foods are more readily available. With the right plan in place, however, you can avoid packing on the extra pounds.

Eating healthier, like choosing lower fat foods, is one simple way to tip the scale in your favor. A recent study that observed individuals who had successful weight loss over the holiday season showed that pre-planning and dietary restraint can both combat the dreaded holiday weight gain.

Try these tricks for making healthy food choices, no matter where you’re at:

• Before you go to a party, have a healthy snack. Pick something high-protein, that will fill you up, so once you’re surrounded by salty and sweet temptation, all you have room for is a light nibble.
• When you’re filling your plate up at the dinner table, you’re in control of what you put on it. So, be strategic. Focus on greens instead of gravy.
• Slow down the food train. Eat slowly and enjoy your food, so your body has enough time to digest and naturally let you know when you’re full.

Treat Yo Self

The holiday season is full of friends and family, and that can mean a busy schedule—and a lot of stress. And that stress can lead to more tension throughout your muscles and body.

A recent study showed the beneficial effects of massage therapy. The volunteers’ heart rate and stress hormone levels were tested before and after an 80-minute hand and foot massages. After just five minutes of massage therapy, heart rate decreased, as well as levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. But massages don’t just decrease stress. They’ve also been shown to help with pain relief, mood, muscle relaxation and even sleep quality.

So, next time you’re at the mall, or just doing some online shopping, don’t forget to schedule some time for yourself.

Don’t Take Things Too Seriously

The holidays can be tough on your body—finding the right gifts, spending time with lots of people AND trying to be healthy? It’s a recipe for stress and tension. But the important thing to remember is that you can only do so much: Work out when you can, focus on healthy foods, but don’t forget to have fun. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, so have yourself a little merry fitness!

The original article can be found here:

http://www.theraband.com/news/5-holiday-exercises-to-keep-you-feeling-merry-and-bright.html