No, the title of the blog is NOT an oxymoron. It’s entirely possible to stay (more or less) focused on your fitness and still fully enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday gathering.
Before the Meal – You’re going to be with friends and family. Why not share a little camaraderie and activity before you eat?
- A group walk on a pleasant afternoon is a great way to reconnect and burn off a few calories. Check out the neighborhood for a mile or two.
- Set up two targets 15 yards apart, choose two teams, line up across from each other and have everyone take turns trying to hit the opposite target with a Frisbee. Keep score. Competition, Cooperation and Calorie burning!
- Just throw the football around for a half hour or more while you chat. Simple, fun, and better for your health than sitting inside and grazing.
Any of these or similar activities that get you off the couch will help you enjoy your family time while providing real health benefits.
During the Meal – Keep these thoughts in mind for “reduced guilt” dining:
- White meat has far fewer calories than dark meat.
- Save your eating of sweets until dessert. You can skip the marshmallows on the sweet potato casserole and still enjoy it. Try the roasted Brussel sprouts this year. You might like them.
- Bread is a big “calorie culprit”. Skip the rolls and have a modest serving of stuffing.
- Gravy! Do we even need to talk about gravy? Try to use it sparingly.
- This is the most important mealtime tip. Drink a glass of water between sweet drinks or any drink with alcohol. It will help you feel full and greatly aid with digestion.
During the Game – There are some ways to avoid being a couch potato.
- Set up a family challenge that each of you will simply stand up from the couch or chair 10 times (for non-exercisers) or 15 times (for those who have been physically active) during each commercial break, preferably without using your hands to push off. Sounds easy enough, right? Just wait until the fourth quarter…
- For a funny activity that can be catered to each individual’s fitness level, pass out resistance bands of appropriate intensities, then let everyone take turns to come up with a silly pose and see who can hold each one longest!
- For a greater challenge, commit to doing 10 pushups during each break. Careful, this one will BURN during the second half of the game. Infrequent exercisers can do pushups from their knees, not their feet.
- For a less intense “TV workout” just stand up and make circles for one minute with your arms extended during each commercial break. The sight of your entire family standing and waving like a flock of birds will elicit some laughter as you burn off those calories.
Summary
The bad news is that none of these plans will transform your body during the Thanksgiving get-together. Even if you follow every step above, Thanksgiving is a day on which you’re going to take in more calories than you burn off. But that’s OK. You don’t have to be a zealot, and you should relax on this big day. The good news is that if you can focus on even a few of these tips, you’ll give yourself some health benefit. And by keeping these thoughts in mind on a day of celebration, you’re very likely to think of yourself as a “fitness person” and do better all through the upcoming holiday season. For additional ideas and equipment to help you on your health and fitness journey, contact us. We’re here to help!
Check out our online store or stop by one of our locations for help curating the perfect workout routine with one of our equipment experts.