Although you might be short on time during the holidays, your Phoenix physician recommends that you try your best to get as much exercise in. Exercise is always important, but it is particularly important during the holiday season when your stress levels might be higher than normal, as stress can cause a wide range of negative effects on the body including a lowered immune system, higher blood pressure, and more.
Your local Phoenix physician recommends exercise as a way to combat the negative effects of stress during the holiday season and to reduce the impact of unhealthy eating. Here are five of the top tips to make time for exercise during the holidays even though you might be pressed for time:
1.) Reduce your workout time – your Phoenix physician recommends reducing your workout time if you find that you don’t have the time to get to the gym regularly. A shorter workout on a regular basis is better than longer but inconsistent workouts. You can reduce your workout to just 15-20 minutes and still get many of the positive effects of exercising during the holiday season. You might be pressed for time but almost everyone has an extra 15 minutes to spare. If you don’t have time to drive to the gym, your Phoenix physician recommends doing a simple workout at home.
2.) Get a workout buddy – if you have a holiday workout buddy you can keep each other accountable and it’s more difficult to make excuses for skipping workouts. You can also keep track of each other’s progress.
3.) Spend money on personal training – there’s no better time to start working out with a personal trainer than the holiday season. Your Phoenix physician recommends using a personal trainer especially if you have limited experience with exercise. Your personal trainer can work with your Phoenix physician based on your unique fitness level. You can have a physical done at your Phoenix physician first before starting your workout routine, and your Phoenix physician will be able to track your fitness progress with your personal trainer.
4.) Take care of your responsibilities first – sometimes your holiday responsibilities can overwhelm you and stop you from doing the things you need to do to maintain your health. Your Phoenix physician recommends that you care of your holiday responsibilities before working out so that you won’t stress about the time that you are spending on exercising.
5.) Don’t make excuses – there’s always an excuse for skipping workouts, but you need to make the time no matter what time of year it is. Your Phoenix physician reminds you that exercise is critical to your health and almost everyone can spend the minimum extra 1 to 2 hours per week on exercise, even during the holidays.
If you have concerns about your health, talk to your Phoenix physician before working out this holiday season. Your Phoenix physician can let you know which workouts are safe and how you should go about your workout plan.