It’s one of ‘the’ things that great numbers of us struggle with at this time of year; negotiating the Christmas period in a manner that doesn’t have an utterly detrimental effect on our fitness levels and waistlines.
Amid all of those festive parties and the temptation to drink ourselves silly into the small hours – to say nothing of the ‘drunken munchies’ that can strike even once you’re done with the night’s hedonism – it might seem an almost impossible task to stay on the fitness ‘straight and narrow’.
Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s possible to keep up with an exercise routine throughout December, without necessarily coming across as a party-avoiding hermit. Certain measures like the below, however, could go a long way to helping you get the balance right.
Carefully plan your exercise around your partying
Here at Hybryd, we don’t believe that you should be making a binary choice between exercise or partying this festive season (unless, of course, you really do despise parties).
We do, however, believe in the value of carefully planning your schedule over the festive period, which can be especially helpful if you’re the kind of person who always seems to find themselves distracted from fitness activities by ‘that’ party or work deadline.
It’s probably a much better idea to exercise ahead of a social event to make you feel energised, than it is to attempt to do so immediately afterwards. Your body needs time to recover from a hangover, so we would urge against a strenuous workout if you’re still feeling worse for wear.
Instead, try something less physically testing – such as walking – the day after a big night, and save the more arduous exercise for the day after that.
Prepare a tasty and nutritious snack to come home to
We mentioned the ‘drunken munchies’ above, and this is something else that advance preparation can help you avoid – or at least manage more responsibly.
If you know you will be going out partying, have a balanced meal before you head out the door. Including a filling, protein-rich source in whatever you eat – such as chicken, turkey or salmon – will help stop you feeling so peckish come midnight.
In addition, rustle up some healthy and tasty food to keep in the fridge, so that it can be waiting for you when you do get home. A homemade burger, for instance, could be just the thing for giving you something to eat that won’t ruin an otherwise disciplined approach to food and drink.
Keep well-hydrated
Another way to make the cut-and-thrust of all that festive partying-then-exercising-then-partying-then-exercising that bit more bearable, is ensuring you have a few glasses of water on each of those long nights. This can help to reduce the effects of classic hangover symptoms such as thirst and headaches.
Although basically any non-alcoholic drink could substitute for water in this equation, choosing water will also enable you to avoid the sugary drinks that could drive up your calorie intake.
Do you know what else could be instrumental in keeping your motivation for fitness up during this often less-than-exercise-friendly time of year? That’s right – shopping for Hybryd clothing and other workout essentials in the comfort of your own home! We are proud to offer free postage to UK addresses, to further minimise how much you need to pay for our highly functional and durable training gear for men and women.
