Bodybuilding Holiday Survival Guide

This is your personal fitness holiday survival guide.  Between Thanksgiving and New Years, it’s a very difficult time to stay dedicated to a rigid diet and training program. There are constant parties and family get-togethers taunting you every step of the way. Christmas shopping itself can prove to be stressful and demanding on your diet walking past the food court in the mall.

So the big question is; how do you stay somewhat dedicated to your fitness plan and still have fun?

There are a number of ways to keep the holidays healthy and fun. You can also bring family and friends in to share your healthy lifestyle and hopefully your healthy habits will rub off on them.

3 Steps to Basic Holiday Survival

1. You can have your own house party and serve a healthy meal and healthy snacks. You can cook up your favorite gourmet healthy dish, such as grilled chicken in olive oil topped with garlic and basil and served with steamed veggies with a dash of red wine vinegar. Have broccoli and carrots to line the plate to make it appealing and healthy.

2. Have a fit-get-together. Invite some friends over to exercise. Help motivate them and get them going for the New Year. Have a small workshop and explain the benefits of exercising and eating right. After you explain the “how’s” and “why’s”, put them through a demo. Show them correct form, proper sets, reps, rest time, and amount of training time needed per session, as well as each week.

3. Shopping is part of the seasonal fun. Many people are stuck when they have to buy for others. When you have to buy Christmas for other people, think of the gift of fitness. It’s something that can benefit them now and always. A simple exercise video, resistance bands, a stability ball, training gloves, heart rate monitors, gym bags, water bottles, a set of dumbbells, vitamins and minerals, or any other motivational or health item is beneficial.

4. When you attend parties and gatherings, practice BYOF. Bring Your Own Food. This is something experienced competitors are familiar with. If you don’t know what’s going to be served or know if junk will be served, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, bring your own food. At least you will know what and how much you are eating. After you eat your meal, if you want a snack of what’s offered, it’s perfectly fine, as long as it’s within reason.

5. Dance at parties. Dancing is a wonderful form of cardio. It’s great to implement if you may have overindulged on goodies or missed out on your regular cardio. Grab a few friends, crank up the tunes, and hit the dance floor.

Now that you have a few ideas of how to make and keep the holidays exciting and fun, it’s time to Get Out and Do It! Don’t just read this newsletter and say, “yeah,” good idea. DO IT! Make this the year you help others see the benefit of exercise and a healthy diet. You’ll be doing them and yourself a great justice.