Seek joy and health this holiday season

The holiday season is here, which is joyous and wonderful. But it’s also the time of year when it’s easy to ditch the hard-won fitness gains and nutrition habits we’ve been honing all year and go hog wild. It’s the holidays, right? And we can’t disappoint grandma by not having a slice of her chocolate pudding.

While a few deviations from your usual nutrition regimen won’t have a long-term impact, one or two months of eating potato salad and koeksisters will mean starting your new year feeling less than amazing — or even in pain given the relationship between these types of foods and inflammation and chronic disease.

Meanwhile, hours watching holiday movies or road-tripping to relatives can increase the amount of time we spend sedentary, and holiday travel can make it challenging to stick to your usual workout routine.

Not to worry. It is possible to get your workouts in on the road, and to enjoy your favourite holiday foods and stay on track with your health and fitness goals.

Danelle van Aswegen has some tips for how to keep the holiday eating under control, make better food choices, get your workouts in, and even encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Move Your Body

Whether it’s a full-blown workout or a walk around your neighbourhood, starting your day with movement will set you up for success with your nutrition later. Studies show we’re more likely to make good food choices throughout the day when we’ve exercised early. Regular exercise can help manage hunger by regulating hunger hormones, which can help prevent overeating and excess snacking.

Many of us are short on time during the holidays — traveling, hosting, cooking — but one of the great things about CrossFit is that there is always time to squeeze in a simple and effective workout to jump-start your day. 

Or try one of these quick but effective, equipment-free workouts:

For 10 minutes, as many rounds as possible of:

10 air squats

10 push-ups

10 sit-ups

—

4 rounds for time of:

Run 1 minute

20 burpees

—

Every minute on the minute for 12 minutes, complete:

20 lateral jumps over a line

20 walking lunges

There are more than 13,000 CrossFit gyms around the world and many offer a holiday schedule and enjoy welcoming guests throughout the season. Check out our gym finder to see if there’s one in your area.

Have a Plan

Making a plan before the holiday festivities begin is a great idea. It’s important that your plan be realistic — remember, we want to enjoy our favourite holiday foods and traditions while not completely derailing our good habits. If dessert is your kryptonite, for example, decide what you’ll have and how much and stick to that plan. If you’re a sucker for sweet bread potjie, decide that you’ll limit yourself to just one serving.

Load up your plate with nutritious food first. If your holiday festivities include lean meats like chicken and fresh veggies, fill up your plate with these healthier options before you add your holiday favourites. This will ensure you get a good serving of the food that serves you nutritionally while also experiencing joy with the foods you may only eat once a year.

Bring a dish to share. Sharing your healthy habits with others at your table is a great way to ensure you’ll be able to load up on nutrient-dense foods and share some with family. 

As a bonus, plan to rally your friends and family for a nice walk after your meal.

Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates (mashed potatoes and buns are in this category) raise blood sugar rapidly and instigate an inordinate insulin response. Chronically high levels of blood sugar and insulin can lead to weight gain and other conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. Taking a walk immediately after your meal can help curb that insulin response and bring your blood sugar back down.

Have Some Wiggle Room

If you go into the holidays planning to eat 100% clean with no cheats, you could be setting yourself up for failure. The holidays are a time to enjoy yourself, and if that means having that favourite treat you eat once a year, go for it. Avoid the slippery slope and get back on track tomorrow.

In CrossFit, nutrition is the foundation of fitness. All elements of health, wellness, and fitness start with and are determined by our nutrition habits. If for the rest of the year you use this as a guiding tenet, enjoying your favourite holiday foods on a couple special occasions will not derail all your hard work and dedication.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!