Let me guess. It’s not even December and you’ve already written off your prospects of hitting your health goals for 2017, instead resigning yourself to the annual “New Years resolution” torture next year to get in shape.
It’s an easy trap to fall into but equally easy to avoid with a bit of will power.
Yes, it is tough to both control eating and drinking through December, let alone maintain an exercise program when you’re on holiday or getting invited to social events left, right and centre.
But giving in to sloth means the New Year’s resolutions will be harder and thus more difficult to maintain, so we get caught in the vicious cycle again.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
SHORT AND SWEET
You can exercise while on holiday without killing yourself.
If too much socialising means you’re struggling to get to the gym or commit to long workouts then keep it short and sweet.
Three sets of a dozen pushups and bodyweight squats every second day will keep you firm and keep you metabolising burning the calories without massive exertion.
So that when you get back to the gym, you’ve still got a decent base to rely on and you’re not going to be trying to mould a bowl of jelly on January 1.
Same thing if you’re going away.
Having no gym or your usual exercise routine doesn’t mean you can’t stay fit.
Find a set of stairs or a steep hill, sprint up it a dozen times.
Do this every 2-3 days while you’re away and you’ll return from holidays in good shape.
Combine it on alternate days with the push ups and squats and you will return from holidays in better shape than when you left.
It will only take you half an hour (make sure to warm up calves, hammies and Achilles in particular first), will briefly hurt like hell and you will feel so much better for having done it – I guarantee.
If that just seems like too much then go for a decent walk before breakfast or at sunset.
Or go for a daily swim, or cycle, or go for a bush walk, or climb a mountain.
While you will appreciate the physical benefits when you return to reality, psychologically you will also be in a much better place to ensure you are on top of your 2018 goals, not relying on New Year’s resolutions you probably won’t keep.
Now, onto the diet and drinking…