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Fun Fit Healthy Ideas + Christmas = Merry FITmas!
I’ll never forget this hands-on model of what five pounds of body fat looks like. It was on display at the fitness facility where I worked as an assistant manager before I had kids. Now, we all need healthy amounts of fat in our diets and on our bodies for many reasons, but what is it about the holidays that helps us gain unwanted weight?
Perhaps many people are prone to gaining several pounds during the holidays because baked treats are so popular at this time of year. And have you ever done this? You don’t know what to give someone, so you resort to food: boxes of goodies, gift cards to restaurants, a plate of Christmas cookies.
This article used to talk about how you shouldn’t put fat under your tree or anyone else’s, but my perspective on fat has changed a lot since 2010.
Four Fit Alternatives to Food
It’s not that food is our enemy. Food isn’t good or bad. It’s a neutral tool that can be used or abused. That said, since our focus is on home fitness workout videos here on Fit2B, I’m going to encourage you to use movementand offer movement as gifts.
MAKE something!
My creativity expresses itself through the wide variety of workouts I design and produce with my team. However, even though I hate glue and glitter, I do get crafty sometimes. One simple craft that required my fine motor skills was this cute, little antique-looking Christmas trees made out out of an old magazine. Why not grab an old health or fitness magazine and make a “FITmas” tree?
All you do is massage the binding to break it down a little and then fold each page diagonally down toward the inner seam. Then fold it diagonally again. Then tuck the extra flap at the bottom under. It can take a good hour to transform a magazine into a tree, so it’s a great technology break. It’s also a neat way to recycle and remind ourselves of the transforming power of the Christ child.
Move Your Traditions
I’m a fan of anything that gets people off their couches and into more reaching, walking, squatting, sorting, lifting, any “-ing” that involves motion. One of our yearly traditions that gets me moving is our Naughty Nutcracker. While the kids sleep, he gets into their toys, undecorates the tree, hides in the toaster, and this picture caught him committing the ultimate crime one year: eating the advent calendar chocolate for the 25th when it was only the 19th!!!
The kids were so mad that they tossed the nutcracker in the trash, and I had to dig him back out again! Again, this is just good, wholesome fun that does NOT encourage overeating or sitting around. Our Naughty Nutcracker gets our kids moving and laughing and thinking! Recently, they have been putting him up to their own ideas of mischief, and I found him in my underwear drawer last year! Ha!
Move Your Advent
Rather, participate in a countdown advent that not only moves your heart but also your body. We have a fun Christmas challenge here that offers movement ideas for you to practice or add to your routine in December. With the seasons changing, and motivation for exercise being a little lower than average, anything that gets your bones bending and your muscles moving is a good idea!
Go Red & Green
Our color series of Diastasis Recti aware home workout videos lets you workout in a whole new festive way. My family celebrates Christmas so I immediately think of our red and green themed workouts, but you could do blue for Hanukkah and so on. I dyed my hair to match each color as we filmed this series, but no pressure …
Still Fixated on Food?
Hey, I get it. We all enjoy treats at special times, so how can we enjoy goodies without overindulging? Well, this is where I’ll recommend Trim Healthy Mama and their amazing low-glycemic, superfood-packed recipe ideas. They have been a waist-saver for me, and you can read my review of their stuff here.
Of course, most of all, I want my babes to ponder the mysteries of this season. So here is a blurry parting shot from when my kids were much smaller than they are now.
My husband was outside setting up our nativity. The kids were riding their bikes and yelling, and then it got quiet… I looked out of our big front window and saw them both staring down at the glowing plastic baby Jesus. Right after this was taken, Mary was knocked down and the infant messiah got stepped on… but I caught that moment. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Fit2B.
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What are some ideas you have for fitting more motion in at Christmas time? How do you focus less on food and more on other things during the holidays?
