Five Rules of Holiday Fitness

Don’t be that person who puts fitness goals on the back burner this holiday season. You can enjoy the holidays and crush your goals by following the Five Rules of Holiday Fitness!
Everyone always seems to have the same concerns when the holidays come around. We all want to attend as many events, dinners, and ugly-sweater parties as possible, but we don’t want our health and fitness to suffer as a result.
You would think that through the years people would have figured out how to have their cake and health and fitness, too. The reality is that some of us have, but too many of us have not. The answer should not be about desperately doing everything you can do from January to November for your health and fitness and then just see what happens in November and December. You need a new approach.
The Five Rules of Holiday Fitness could single-handedly be your turning point and finally teach you to learn to love the holidays and maintain your health and fitness levels throughout!
So, let’s take a look at the old way most people do things and the new rules that will help.

Five Rules of Holiday Fitness

OLD WAY: Try (AND FAIL) to stick to a split program through the holidays
NEW RULE #1: Do Full-Body Workouts during the holiday season.
Things come up during the holiday season all of the time.  If you are doing split workouts, you will be so scattered that you will be missing some body parts and over-working others.
A few missed workouts does not mean you should throw in the towel until next week or next month. Instead, consider following a program of full-body workouts that use resistance, cardio, and yoga or stretching will keep you moving forward even if you miss a day or two.
Since time is valued this time of year, it’s a great time to look at At-Home Workouts. Working out at home saves time and money because you won’t have to drive to the gym. At-Home Workouts doesn’t mean your workouts will be easy. If anything, they may feel harder! Many At-Home Workout Programs incorporate supersets, cardio bursts, or other compound movements to elevate your heart rate and maximize your time. Trust me: you won’t lose any ground. Honestly you will more likely gain ground and see results, and the gym may be something you do once in a while after the holidays.
OLD WAY: Allowing Events and Workouts to Compete for Your Time
NEW RULE #2: Good Morning Workout!
The holiday season typically makes everyone’s schedules more jam-packed with events after work. This can also be a time that many plan to workout. So which do you do? During the holiday season the holiday events typically win.  There’s no reason to waste time figuring this out. The decision is “Good Morning Workout”.  
Doing your workout first thing in the morning keeps you on track and never missing a beat. Plus it lowers your stress because you are not thinking about having a workout when the unexpected event comes up, because yours is already done.  If you are gym person, then load up your gym bag the night before to save time and give yourself enough time to eat, get to the gym, clean up, and off to work. This again is where At-Home Programs can ease the stress of time. It can save you 45-60 minutes of time in the morning which could be used for extra sleep.
OLD WAY: Don’t consume all the decadent treats and sweets
NEW RULE #3: Try to eat only the treats and sweets new and appealing, don’t just gobble all the old favorites. Have a small portion of your favorite seasonal treats, and skip the things you can get anytime of the year.

Five Rules of Holiday Fitness

Most people fail miserably at this one, so set yourself up with an incentive. Maybe it’s money in a jar for every time you skip something you can have anytime or have already had this season. Whatever incentive works for you, try it and do it.
Keep in mind that sugary treats can be found everywhere you look, so be mindful. Mindful means if you want the pumpkin pie or egg nog, scrap the Oreo cookies in the breakroom or a cafe mocha on the way home. You don’t want to ride the blood-sugar high all New Year’s and have to make resolutions that you would have never needed to make.

OLD WAY: Try to resist the urge even if you are starving.
NEW RULE #4: Plain and simple… Don’t let yourself get to the point you are starving!
Planning ahead becomes crucial and staying hydrated is important. Being prepared for the unexpected during the holiday season (or anytime) is important. Pack protein bars, raw almonds, apples or other fruit, or packets of total nutrition Shakeology.
Having these extra healthy snack options will help get through the day and are necessary before going to an unexpected holiday event. A healthy snack prior to your event will help you stick to the plan of not eating whatever throughout the night.
Drinking a 12-16-ounce glass of water prior to going to the event will also help you feel full when you arrive. Keep drinking water throughout the event.
OLD WAY: Training all year with hopes that people notice during the holidays
NEW RULE #5:  Invite friends and family to join you for your workouts, whether at home or the gym.
The holidays are often times when you see people you haven’t seen for a while.
It’s normal to secretly want to shock those people, and have them give you the “Wow” compliment! Or the “What have you been doing?” “You look great!” So instead of being secret and looking for your compliment, why not help inspire them to embrace the fit life. It is always better to give and inspire.
Make a workout date with a friend, family member, or coworker this holiday season. It will help hold both of you accountable for getting your workouts completed and provide a more natural platform for fitness questions and conversation, should any arise. Give the gift of health by inviting them and giving them an At-Home Fitness Challenge Pack to keep them going after the holidays.

Also remember to go for walks after big dinners and do things as a family like skiing, snowshoeing, hitting the beach, or going for a hike, depending on your climate.
Whatever you do, do it with friends and family. Inspire versus go for the compliment. Give the gift of health and fitness.
The bottom line is the holidays come once a year, but they still occur every year. So lower your stress and stay healthy and fit through the holidays by dumping the old ways and implementing these Five Rules for Holiday Fitness.
Finish the year strong!

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Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body

Life gets crazy sometimes, and it can wear on us. If you notice that you are feeling tired and weighed down by stress, a lack of motivation for exercise, and are making poor food choices, it is time to think about giving your mind and body a reboot. This reboot doesn’t always have to come from a nutritional detox. It can come from a physical detox too.
What do we mean by physical detox? You can detox through yoga. Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body will leave you feeling cleaner on the inside and more energetic on the outside.
Try these Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body and see and feel the benefits for yourself.

Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body

• Chair Pose

This is one of the Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body that most people can do with very little practice. Bring your feet either hip-width apart or together (depending on your comfort level). Bend your knees as if you are sitting on a chair. Make sure your knees are aligned with the center of your feet. Bring your hands together at the heart center and bring one elbow to the opposite knee, pressing your palms firmly together. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and open your chest wide.

Detox Benefits for Your Body: Improves the health of the spine and vertebrae, and also stimulates the liver, spleen, and digestive system to improve the elimination process.

• Eagle Pose

For the Eagle Pose stand with your feet together and arms by your side. Draw your left foot upward, bending the knee as you lift it. Wrap the left foot around your right leg as you rest the back of your left thigh on the right thigh. Cross your arms at the elbows, left over right. Join the palms of your hands together keeping the fingers pointed upward. Inhale and hold the posture for the duration of the inhaled breath. Be sure to hold then release, and repeat on the other side.

Detox Benefits for Your Body: Besides that, it stretches the ankles and calves, thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back, it creates deeper circulation which may help flush out the blood and lymph system.

• Sage Twist Pose

Start by sitting on the floor with both legs straight in front of you. Bend your left leg towards your chest. Rotate your torso toward your left knee. Wrap your right arm around the left knee, positioning the knee in the crook of the right elbow. After holding the pose for 30-45 seconds, switch to the other side and repeat.

Detox Benefits for Your Body: Helps stimulate digestion and remove the impurities of the body. Also stimulates the kidney and liver for more blood flow to the organs.

Yoga Poses to Detox Your Body

• Forearm Wheel

This move is a reclined position on your back. You then slowly press up, gently placing the crown of your head on the mat. Come onto your forearms one at a time both forearms on the mat. Slowly press up into a backbend, opening through your shoulders.

Detox Benefits for Your Body: Chest-opening exercises are wonderful to release stagnation and congestion in the body. This also can help activate your metabolism.

• Eagle Headstand Pose

Begin this pose by kneeling on the floor. Lace your fingers together and set the forearms on the floor, elbows at shoulder width. Roll the upper arms slightly outward, but press the inner wrists firmly into the floor. Set the crown of your head on the floor. Inhale and lift your knees off the floor. Carefully walk your feet closer to your elbows, keep your heels elevated. Actively lift through the top of the thighs, forming an inverted “V.” Firm the shoulder blades against your back and lift them toward the tailbone so the front torso stays as long as possible. Exhale and lift your feet away from the floor. Take both feet up at the same time, even if it means bending your knees and hopping lightly off the floor. Place the right thigh over the left and either stay there in a half bind or wrap the foot around the calf in a full bind. Press the thighs into one another.

Detox Benefits for Your Body: Headstands typically improve cardiovascular functioning by reducing strain on the heart. This can help people suffering from a depressed immune system and allergies. It can also increase digestive fire and body heat, which can increase the function of the endocrine glands, especially the pineal and pituitary glands.

• Shoulder Stand Pose

Begin by lying on the floor. Draw your legs back over the head, coming into a plow pose. Bring your hands to either side of the spine and slowly bend both of your knees and press your feet up into the air. Draw the belly toward the spine. Concentrate on your feet, and lower to plow on your way down and return to your first position.

Detox Benefits for Your Body: Inverted poses help drain accumulated lymph fluid from the legs and upper body. This pose helps the body be oxygenated and cleansed.

Some of the moves we mentioned are for beginners and some are advanced. We always recommend that you do some formal practice of these moves with a program so you obtain the greatest benefit while decreasing your chance for injury. Some great programs to look at are Tai Cheng and PiYo, as well as the yoga programs offered in P90X, P90X2, and P90X. These programs offer the opportunity to learn and enjoy yoga, while allowing you to obtain the benefits from physical detox.
If you want to add a nutrition detox during your physical Detox, it is recommended to do the Ultimate Reset. This program is a comprehensive nutritional detox that detoxes your body down to the cellular level.



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