The Elite Health & Fitness Christmas Survival Guide

Elite are hungry for reps this Christmas.

The Elite Health & Fitness Christmas Survival Guide
 

Christmas is probably the most difficult time of year to stick to your fitness and nutritional goals. With alcohol and tasty treats as a constant temptation, there are normally many more social engagements. You may have much less time to exercise, and the dark evenings and gloomy weather will do nothing for your motivation.

#1 TAILOR YOUR EXERCISE AND EXPECTATIONS
With so many other commitments, social engagements and parties you will find that getting the same level of exercise may not be possible. You need to keep your level of exercise up, but reduce
the amount of time you’re in the gym or add in ad-hoc bursts of activity.
Try:
• Some lunges, press-ups, and tricep dips with burpees to finish before getting into the
shower
• A 25–30 minute quick jog with some sprints
• Follow a fitness DVD or video workout, tabata or HIIT session
• Do some classes or personal training for extra motivation

#2 BE MINDFUL OF THE BOOZE
In the run-up to Christmas we all get invited to more parties and dinners, and for many this means the consumption of much more alcohol. Whether you are attending Christmas parties, going around
to your friend’s house for drinks, on a night out or visiting family, alcohol always seems to be flowing.

We know alcohol features heavily and we are not going to advise you not to drink but to be mindful of what type of drink and the quantity. Different drinks contain varying amounts of calories. Aim to sup a beverage that has a lower range of calories. See the list below and make a wise choice:

Be mindful of how much you consume as your inhibitions lower and you many find yourself feasting on a high-calorie, late-night snack. Whilst you may not care at the time, you are likely to wake up and regret drinking so much and scoffing that snack.

Should you wake with a monster hangover, you are going to be washed out, tired and left with the biggest carb cravings ever. In this state, you will need the will power of a titan to avoid those carbs…

#3 MIND WHAT YOU EAT
Food glorious food. Christmas is a time where you are likely to eat much more and generally food served at Christmas is higher in calories. With mince pies, chocolates, cakes to snack on and large
heavy meals to be consumed over what could be the whole festive period, the average person could put on 10–14 pounds over the four-week period.
Just by being mindful you could save yourself all the unwanted weight gain and maintain a healthier weight into the New Year. How smug will you feel!
Aim to:
1. Keep well hydrated
2. Eat more protein and reduce the carbs
3. Avoid the junk foods if you have a big social engagement
4. Supplement with digestive enzymes to help with digesting the quantity of food
5. Be mindful of how much you eat in one sitting

#4 SUPPLEMENT WISELY
With all the bodily abuse, we put ourselves through, it’s no wonder we put our entire system under stress and out immune system hits an all-time low. Much of the food we consume will be lacking in nutrients, making us more susceptible to infections, disease and the common cold.
As you may expect the body requires a little help to keep things running smoothly without coming a cropper and being really ill over the Christmas period.
• Drink some greens – During this busy time get some extra vitamins and minerals by drinking some green powder. Alternatively select some greens and whiz them up in a blender.
• Antioxidants – Purchase some good quality antioxidant capsules
• Digestive enzymes – Help your digestive system by consuming these before you eat. This
may also reduce your tummy bloating.
• Milk thistle – With the increase of alcohol you may wish to help the liver along by taking
some milk thistle.
• Vitamin D – As the nights and days draw in and we get up in the dark and get home in the dark we don’t get much sunlight. Vitamin D will help keep you in a happy place.
• Essential oils (fish) – Getting a good blend of omega oils is so important in daily life and the festive period can see the amounts dwindle. You may notice your skin drying up and your brain slowing down. Replacing lost omega oils has many benefits.
We advise making many small changes to get a big result overall. If you tackle this in a proactive way you will find that come the New Year you will be streets ahead of your family, friends and work
colleagues who will be regretting yet again another over-indulgent Christmas.
Need help and motivation as we head into December? We can give you a personalised plan to make sure you don’t fall victim to looking like the Christmas pudding in the New Year.
Call: 01285 239283 and leave a message for Mac.
Get your fitness and nutrition of to a flying start in the New Year…
Purchase our 21-day HOME or STUDIO version or our 12-week studio fitness programme as a gift for yourself or someone you care about.
ALL OUR PROGRAMMES COME WITH A RESULTS GUARANTEE*

Visit www.elitefit.co.uk for more information!

 *must adhere to all of the exercise recommendations for the guarantee to be valid