Forget Black Friday! Check out Workout Wednesday!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that brings together friends and family from all over, to celebrate at a table filled with food.

A lot of food.

And while it is great to spend time with loved ones and enjoy a turkey dinner with all the trimmings (and pie!) don’t let that one 3,000-5,000 calorie day derail your fitness routine. The time from Thanksgiving through the New Year can be a minefield of bad food- and workout-decisions. Stay focused!

This year, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) is hoping to help steer the public toward a collective effort to get moving and engage in fitness activities on Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving. They are calling it Workout Wednesday!

According to their website, “To inspire participation, ACE is hosting a photo contest on Twitter and Instagram beginning today. Everyone who uses the hashtag #ACEWorkoutWed alongside a photo of themselves participating in a fitness activity will be automatically entered to win prizes each week in November. On Workout Wednesday, Nov. 27, a grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to the ultra-luxury wellness and spa resort Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The prize, valued up to $5,000, includes a 3-night stay for two at Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana, airfare credit, the resort’s Endless Privileges benefits throughout the stay such as all food and beverage, 24-hour concierge service, a 20-minute spa treatment and more.”

Sign us up! In fact, share a photo of yourself working out (whether it’s walking, running or doing Pilates) on our Facebook page, and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win a 3-class card! Three complimentary exercise classes just for sharing a photo of you exercising!

In addition, ACE has assembled a terrific online library of articles designed to keep you focused on fitness as we enter the holiday season.

“Imagine if people all joined together to get moving on Workout Wednesday like they do to visit shopping malls on Black Friday,” said ACE Healthcare Solutions Director Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD on their website. “With the average Thanksgiving meal packing 3,000 calories, every healthy recipe tweak and physical activity counts.”

At Beyond the Barre, we are committed to helping you get fit and stay fit. Our class schedule the week of Thanksgiving and through the holidays guarantees you time to work out. We are even adding a Thanksgiving morning class to get you ready for the day! And there are other great Thanksgiving workouts, including the Ocean Community YMCA’s annual Turkey Trot and Dip at the Mystic branch. Whatever you choose to do, remember that Thanksgiving is just one day! If you have that second piece of pie, it’s OK!

(Illustration credit: K Whiteford, publicdomainpictures.net)