Why Weight?

This week kicks off the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. So much to do, yet so little time.  Work, shop, cook, pick up kids and sleep, check, done!  Exercise, no time, not on the “To Do List.” The first priority we give up during the holiday season is exercise. We all know how critical of a role exercise plays to maintain our overall health and wellness. Trying to get through the laundry list of tasks without exercise will only increase stress levels! Stress reeks havoc on the body, which I am sure you are already aware of.  A few side effects worth mentioning are depression, obesity, digestive problems, memory impairment, and sleep problems.

Here are creative ways to sneak exercise in at home during this holiday season:

'LIKE' Core Power’s Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Core-Power-LLC/109781075766705 to get daily doses of exercise/fitness/yoga/meditation/recipe tips. These tips will help to reduce stress and will help to reduce unwanted weight gain this holiday season.

100 Push Up's Fridays
Yes, because you can! Join me and grab100 push up’s utilizing the floor or wall to gain upper body strength/endurance, increase stamina and maintain toned sculpted muscles! Do 10 or 20 push up’s at a time throughout the day until you reach 100, does not take long and SO effective!

Dinner and Squats
Multitask, while you are cooking dinner in the oven or stirring a pot of something healthy, stop, do 20 squats (feet parallel). Stir a bit more (if needed) and stop, do 20 plie squats (toes out heels in). Repeat as many times until dinner is done!

Talking on the Phone?
While seated in a chair talking on the phone, extend right leg (slight bend); flex foot, lift/lower leg without touching back down to the floor. Do as many as you can. Great way to strengthen the front thighs!  Still talking?  Then rotate toes out to the side while leg is lifted, move leg out to the side and back in to center for toned inner thighs!

Watching TV? 
Take advantage of commercial breaks. Need a bit of cardio? Try several jumping jax, jog in place, run/walk up the stairs, grab your pushup’s and/ or plank/elbow holds.

Picking up the Kids? 
While waiting in the car (safely parked) meditate. Close your eyes, take three full slow deep breaths in and out through the nose.  Then just begin to observe your breath for a few minutes. You’ll feel brand new (calm/peaceful) by the time the kids arrive to the car!

Loads of Laundry
Anyone who multitasks can get lots of things done while a load of wash is running for 30 to 40 minutes.  Take 20 minutes out, incorporate interval training, a fabulous technique that is efficient at burning calories and fat by incorporating short bursts of high-intensity work alternated with low-intensity work. Example:  March for 1 minute, jog in place for 30 seconds, etc.

Feeling Ambitious?  
Wake up 10- minutes early a few times a week to meditate, practice Yoga, Pilates or dance, etc.

Stuck in Line?
Waiting in line is common during this busy holiday season. Use that time to stand tall, take shoulders down your back and draw your belly in to your spine and release, repeat several times. Great way to connect to your core and tone the core too! Strengthen and reshape the glutes by squeezing and releasing the glutes several times until it is your turn to check out!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Lynn MacDonald, Personal Trainer, Registered Yoga Teacher

Core Power, LLC
www.getcorepower.com
FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Core-Power-LLC/109781075766705