The holidays are right around the corner. Time to gather with friends and relatives for gift giving, catching up and sharing delicious meals.

And while reveling in the joy of the season, it is also important to remember that those delicious meals can catch up with you!

However, if you keep these basic tips in mind, you will be able to stay in shape during the holiday season.

Make Healthy Choices

When you sit down at the dinner table, it’s likely there will be a wide variety of dishes to choose from and it will be tempting to pile your plate with a bit of everything. However, there are some things you can do to limit your calorie intake. Here are some ideas:

• Go for white meat instead of brown: When eating chicken or turkey, white meat is generally leaner and lower in calories than dark meat. The same can be said when comparing white meats to red meats like steak and ground beef.
• Go for veggies: If you are going to pile your plate, try to include a good amount of vegetables as opposed to food that is higher in fat and lower in nutrients.
• Exercise Portion Control: You might want to try everything at the table, but it is important to exercise portion control. Limit the amount of food you are taking, especially when it comes to foods that are high in fat and calories. And be sure to listen to your body so you stop eating when you’re feeling full.
• Pig Out for One Night, Not One Season: During the holidays, there will be a lot of opportunities to pig out. It’s okay to pig out one day, but if you find yourself pigging out too often, it will begin to show on your waistline.
• Eat Slowly: Eating slowly increases the levels of gut hormones responsible for feeling full which can help reduce calorie intake. It can also make you more aware of when you’re at your limit to prevent overeating. 

Exercise Regularly

The holidays may be busy, but it is not a good time to neglect your workout routines.

Fortunately, the holidays are a great time to work out in style thanks to our new line of women’s Christmas leggings. These leggings are fun to wear when working out and they can also make a terrific Christmas leggings outfit you can wear during the festivities. They are adorable and fashionable, and they come with the hand-crafted quality that you can expect from all our products.

Here are some exercises that are recommended for your holiday workout.

Running

Running is a great way to burn those extra holiday calories. It is an aerobic exercise which means that it uses oxygen to help fat decompose.

Generally, more fat is burned when exercise is low in intensity and longer in duration. Therefore, it is best to go at a pace where you can comfortably carry on a conversation…and be prepared to go the long haul.

Your Christmas running leggings will be ideal for giving you the motivation you need for your sprints. They will also put a smile on the faces of everyone you pass by!

Hit the Gym

Running can be a great way to get the blood pumping, but baby it’s cold outside! If you prefer to do your workouts in a nice, warm gym, here are some that are recommended for the ultimate in fat and calorie burn.

• Squats: Squats require the use of multiple muscles including those located in the quads, hamstrings, glutes, knees ankles and hip joints. Therefore, they are considered a compound movement working to burn more calories than an isolated movement.
• Deadlifts: This is another compound movement that not only works the leg muscles but almost every muscle group in the body. This means it has a high energy expenditure and calorie burn.
• Kettlebell Swings: These are powerful movements that work the glutes and quads. Research has shown that a 20-minute kettlebell workout can raise heart rates by 93% and result in a calorie burn of 20.2 per minute.
• HIIT on Cardio Machines: High-Intensity Interval Training is becoming more popular in the world of health known for its ability to yield high fat and calorie burn. These intervals of lower and higher intensity workouts can be especially effective when done on a rowing machine or treadmill.
• Burpees: The ultimate workout move, burpees combine a plank, push up, squat and jump into one exercise making it one of the most effective when it comes to revving up the metabolism.
• Walking Lunges: Walking lunges are a great form of calorie-burning cardio which can be combined with resistance work when dumbbells are added. The heavier the dumbbells the more energy you expend so start gradually and try increasing weight over time.

These are all great exercises for combatting any extra weight you may put on while eating those rich holiday meals. And you will look stylish performing them at the gym when you wear your Christmas workout leggings.

Other Exercise Tips

The holiday season is a busy time so try to schedule your workouts for morning time. This will help you get your exercise out of the way before the day gets away from you.

However, if you do find that it’s starting to get late and you still haven’t gotten that workout in, try to put aside at least fifteen minutes for some quick lunges or a kettlebell sesh.

The holidays can really challenge your diet, but these tips will help you stay on track…and your Christmas Leggings Women’s will be perfect for adding an element of fun! What tips do you have for staying in shape during the holiday season?