At Home Fitness: 6 Easy Exercises To Keep You Fit Through the Holidays

I know the holiday season can be a dreadful time. If it isn’t all the stressful running around and fighting ridiculous crowds at the malls to get any last minute Christmas items, it’s the crazy work schedule that you have to manage to keep things running at work. Don’t forget the loving family members that drop by to share all the holiday cheer (while running you crazy- giving helpful unnecessary tips on decorating the house better next time). Sometimes they even want to sleep over. Forget that! And don’t get me started about the kids, especially if they don’t like or fully appreciate the gifts that Santa brought them. It’s enough to make you want to pin them on the shelf in place of the Elf. So needless to say, anxiety levels stay at a moderate level which normally makes most folks want to grab for the refrigerator door or the bottle of Scotch and Vodka. These are huge no, no’s because this type of food consumption only makes you think you are doing your body good. You may be grinding at the wheel of your health at a deadly pace for the chance of gathering some peace of mind.
So how does someone fight the holiday poundage that tries to creep in as you close out the year? Exercise! Exercise can be a major player in the war against stress. Not only does it tire your body out, it makes you long for foods that are high in energy releasing substrates for tissue repair and healing, like proteins, fibers, and vegetables. Another thing that is nice about exercise is that it tires you out, which helps you get a better night’s rest. But that’s not to assume that everyone has neither the time nor the money to get a gym membership. Although walking is a great form of exercise, the winter months bring cold weather, which adds to the already long laundry list of excuses to stay sedentary. So I have compiled a list of exercises that are simple to do in the comfort of your own home and do ont require weights.
Let’s start with the upper body. Biceps, Triceps and Pectorals.
A. Seated dips: triceps (back of the arm)- place your legs straight in front of you and grab the front end of a chair, with your arms slightly behind you. With your heels supporting you, slowly bend your elbows (lowering yourself to the floor) and just barely touch your bottom on the ground, then immediately straighten your elbows and rise back up. Try to do 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions under control. If the exercise seems impossible, you can modify the exercise by bending your knees and using your legs for added support. If a chair is too high, try doing the same exercise off of a step.
B. Bicep Curls: biceps (front of the arm)- best performed with weights, but I prefer using soup cans or elastic bands as replacements. We need to add a little challenge to this one to work in pelvic floor muscles for core. Standing up, keep your feet at shoulder distance, with a slight bend at the knee. Extend your elbows downward, until they reach evenly between your inner thighs. Then bend at the elbow and bring your fists to your neck. Repeat 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
C. Push-ups: pectorals- lying on your stomach place your hands either even with your shoulders or just a little outside of them while balancing on the toes of your feet. Slowly push up from the floor, making sure to keep your back straight and nothing touching the floor. Slowly let yourself back down and repeat. 2 sets of 6-8 is fine to start with, especially if you keep a smooth rhythm. To make it easier, you can stay on your knees instead of your toes.
Now for the lower body: Quads, Gluteals, and Gastrocs.
A. Lunges: quadriceps (front of your thigh)- staring position is standing straight with feet close together. Take a step forward on one leg and lower yourself to the floor under control. Raise back up, and once you make it to the top, push backwards to the original position. Switch legs and repeat. 3 sets of 6-8 here will do the trick. You can also modify this exercise by standing in a split position (with forward foot flat and the back foot supporting you on the ball of your foot). Then lower yourself down and rise back up. Imagine that you are an elevator going up and down as opposed to leaning forward and back.
B. Sumo Squats: gluteals/hamstrings (butt and back of your thigh)- standing up, position your feet wide apart, outside of your shoulders. Place your hands on your head and maintain a flat back for balance. Slowly lower yourself down about even with your knees, and rise back up. You should feel the burn right where your buttock meets the back of your thigh. 3 sets of 6-8 should suffice.
C. Calf Raises: gastroc- performed standing. I like to do these in the shower because I remember to do them while I wash up. Standing on the ball of your feet (forefoot) lower yourself down and then explode back up. You can modify these by pointing your toes in, middle or out to the side. Changing it up helps to add even definition. 3 sets of 20-30 repetitions is the sweet spot.
So there you have it. Easy, cheap, and more than attainable. Shouldn’t take you any more than 30-45 minutes to do. Cycle days of upper and lower body for best results, with maybe a day off in the middle of the week to recover and always consult your primary care physician before starting any workout regimen. Take care until next time.