The holiday season is full of good times! Family gatherings, work parties, fun outings with SO’s, and these occasions are ALWAYS full of delicious food. From hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, Christmas cookies, to savoury dinners smothered in gravy. These comfort foods during our darkest days of the year can be absolutely irresistible.
AS THEY SHOULD BE.
It’s the beginning of December and I’m already sick of hearing about how everyone “needs to get into the gym to burn off those holiday calories”.
This mindset is FULL of negativity, saying that you should feel guilty for enjoying this amazing food with great people, and should shame yourself enough to burn it off in the gym. Because, you know, New Years is right around the corner.
We know that exercise has MANY benefits to the mind and body, but did you know that studies show it has to be voluntary exercise, that you enjoy to receive full benefits?
So this holiday season let’s change our mindset. (To start gearing up for New Years)
Instead of feeling guilty around your food, I invite you to slow down and enjoy every bite as much as you can. Pay attention to how your body reacts to the different types of food you’re having, do you feel energized? Tired? Nauseous? Content?
Just. Pay. Attention.
If you want to do more, start keeping a food log, writing down how you feel after enjoying the different types of food.
Now onto exercise.
Exercise should also be ENJOYED. Humans are the only animal that doesn’t always enjoy exercise, and this is due to mindset. This can be changed in many ways. Maybe the exercise you enjoy this season is season related! Going snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, building snowmen or igloos, or maybe having epic snowball fights.
Whatever your chosen exercise is, make sure it’s complimenting your movement diet (love this term from Sara-Clare Lajeunesse). Meaning you’re moving your body in many different ways and you’re working on a skill. Every time you tackle your chosen movement practice, you’re focused on moving a little better, more efficiently, a little slower or faster.
For me, I love swinging kettlebells and maces. I especially love swinging a mace while eating a cinnamon bun.
So this holiday season, let’s focus on enjoying it!
Amazing things will happen to your decisions when you remove shame and guilt, but more on this in a future blog.
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