While enjoying these holidays and all the food, we tend to skip workouts and eat too much.

Then there’s the bitter cold weather that makes you want to just stay inside and skip that run.

Here are some simple ways to keep you on track!

1. Even with all the parties to attend and cookies to bake there is a simple way to burn some calories. Cleaning for a party or moving around while you bake will help burn calories.

2. While doing Christmas shopping, walk briskly and take the STAIRS!

3. Use snow to your advantage. Instead of bundling up indoors, put on your coat and go outside. Take a walk in the snow, start a snowball fight, cross country ski, or go ice skating.

4. Use an exercise ball or get out your yoga mat and do it at home.

5. Even when it’s cold, walking is a great exercise! So get out in the neighborhood and walk around.

6. Try a fitness class to keep you going and motivated.

7. Just try to maintain…not lose weight during the holidays!

Get some extra tips here!

And do not forget, no matter what, to enjoy everything in moderation. The holiday is a relaxing time and enjoying what you like for a day or two will not ruin your exercise or diet.

The intensity of your workout is most important, not the length. A short, high intensity workout will boost your metabolism and leave you feeling energized for the day.

To get a complete workout in only 30 minutes, you must do both resistance training and cardiovascular.

To start, you must do 20 minutes of resistance training.

1. Squats

2. Lunges

3. Plank

4. Push ups

5. Chest press: Lie face up on the bench with feet on the ground and lift free weights from your chest towards the ceiling.

6. Shoulder Press

7. Crunches

After doing these and maybe some more resistance training for 20 minutes, it’s time to do an intense 10 minute cardio activity.

Within those 10 minutes, make sure to switch off between going as fast as you can and as hard as you can to going light, maybe switching between every 30 seconds to a minute.

This workout is great for someone who is crunched for time, but make sure to get longer workouts in when possible!

Do NOT feel guilty resting and letting your body recover is not the same as skipping your workout. Although you must challenge yourself with each workout, the actual gains take place during rest!

Without resting, you will not be able to stretch yourself to the limit. You will not be able to push yourself as hard as you can go which means the quality of your workout will suffer. This will not help you in the long run.

In fact, this sets you up to get injured more easily.

Here are some ways to incorporate rest into your workout:

1. Active recovery or rest: This means stretching between workouts and easy fun activity on your day off.

2. Vary the days of activity: A few days of hard training should be followed by a few days of easier training.

3. Vary the types of activities

4. Take at least ONE actual day of rest each week

5. Get plenty of sleep

It is important to remember this, since no rest will only be detrimental to you physically and mentally.

So on that day of rest, get out there and have some fun!

Here are some tips to help you reach your goal.

1. Improve your posture: When you slouch, your stomach seems bigger than it is. By standing and sitting up straight your stomache will look much flatter.

2. Focus on the whole body: Do not spot train the abdominal muscles. Do train the whole core by doing full body exercise like pilates.

3. Think about your diet: You must eat less and get moving more in order to reduce body fat and get the muscle you want. Check out some flat belly meals!

4. Take it slow: Be patient. A tight and fit looking stomach does not form over night.

5. Set goals: Set realistic goals depending on your personal characteristics. Not everyone will look like they should be on a fitness magazine, but eating right and exercising will help you look your best!

Check out some great ab workouts!

Those who engage in regular exercise need to be getting more protein not just more carbs. The right amount of protein will help build lean muscle and speed recovery of the muscles after a work out. Lack of protein puts someone who is regularly exercising at risk for injury.

Some good things to consume at meals and before and after work outs include lean meats, milk, eggs, and whey. Remember, the longer and more intense your work out, the more protein you need to consume.

It is also good for runners and exercisers to remember to not skimp on calories. This could significantly increase the risk of injury and is not good for your body. It will also effect your work out since you won’t have enough energy to burn.

It’s not just lifting weights that will tone up those arms. You have to be conscious of your diet and nutrition.

You need to use some sort of resistance and push yourself hard to help strengthen and tone the upper body. (Tip: Push yourself to fatigue.)

Some of the best training:

1. Push-ups

2. Pull-ups

3. Bicep curl

4. Tricep dips

5. Bench Press: Lie face up on the bench, grasp the bar and lower the bar slowly and with control to the chest keeping the wrists straight. Push the bar back up and repeat.

There are many other upper body machines at any gym, but even just using your own body weight will help build muscle and tone.

It can help you look and feel better while improving muscle mass as well as bone mass. It even increases the amount of calories burned because when you finish lifting, calories continue to be burned for hours. This is because it increases your metabolic rate.

Here are a few tips for beginners:

1. Set goals

2. Work with a partner

3. Choose the right equipment for you

4.  Slow deliberate movements are best

5. Give yourself time to rest and recover

6. Get good nutrition (hint: protein builds lean muscle mass!)

There are many different ways to weight train. Both free weights and machines can be very beneficial.

Cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that increases the work of the heart and lungs.

There are many options when it comes to choosing which activity best suits you.

1. Running

2. Walking

3. Bicycling

4. Jump Roping

5. Swimming

6. Skiiing

7. Elliptical machines

8. Stairclimbers

9. Rowing Machines

All of these activities are great and will result in a healthier you. The physical benefits of cardio include:

-reduced risk of heart disease

-improved heart function

-improved cholesterol levels

-reduced risk of osteoporosis

-improved muscle mass

In order to see these benefits, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio 5 days a week.

But not all of us quit so easily. Some have made exercise a part of their day just like showering or making the bed. The question is how do they do this?

They stay motivated and the reasons they stay motivated have less to do with physical results. Regular exercisers generally continue because it makes them feel healthier and good about themselves.

In order for you to get into the habit try some of these tips.

1. Change it up: Try a variety of exercises. If you don’t enjoy running, walk around the neighborhood, or join a class. Always switching it up will avoid the monotony that sometimes comes with a dull gym routine.

2. Get a partner: Having another person with you when exercising encourages you to keep going. If one day you don’t want to go, the other person can help you stay on track.

3. Make it a priority: Tell yourself if has to be done. This way you won’t just let yourself slide if you’re just a little tired after work.

4. Exercise is the morning: Believe it or not exercise gives you energy for the whole day! Also, all those lame excuses you had to not do it, will suddenly disappear.

5. Exercise immediately after work or school: Take the gym clothes with you, this way you won’t have to stop at home and then end up not going.

6. Keep a log of your day-to-day activity: This will help you stay on track and even make you feel guilty about missing days.

7. Set goals: By setting goals and working towards them, it will keep you on track. When you reach a goal, reward yourself!

Remember it’s not easy to start exercising again, but once your in the habit it becomes a priority in your life and you feel great about yourself.

So I came to college not used to having a workout regime of my own. I was used to having a structured practice everyday; a practice where a coach would slowly “torture” me for hours with drills and sprints.

Over the past three years, however, I have come to love and enjoy working out. It is a part of my day now just as brushing my teeth is. It has raised my self esteem and confidence while also helping me lead a healthy lifestyle.

I believe everyone would feel this good if they could just start a little at a time. So get out there and moving! All it takes is a little motivation and you’ll be feeling the benefits of exercise. Exercise is proven to make people happier, feel better about themselves, and live longer. It has also been shown to cure and prevent disease.

Take the first step!