It’s kind of hard to stay in shape during Thanksgiving time when the entire point of Thanksgiving is to stuff your face. But, even though you’re pretty much guaranteed to gain a pound or two, there’s no reason you can’t still work out, just in a different way!
The goal for a break like this should be to aim for a relaxed lifestyle. Thanksgiving won’t be fun if you’re constantly thinking about the calorie content of the food or trying to limit yourself to ridiculously small portions. You’re home, you’re stressed from school and you need to just chill. So let your home mode kick in and eat as you please.
Your workouts should have the same attitude. Instead of desperately trying to burn off the calories by going on a 10 mile run when you’ve only ever been able to run 2 is a bad idea. First of all, if you have all of that food in your stomach, it’s guaranteed to come up, and second of all, you’ll probably hurt yourself.
Instead, why not take advantage of being home and try something new – like yoga. Yoga is perfect for a break like this, because it’s both relaxing and challenging. Yoga will do the job of burning calories, plus toning your legs and abs, and helping you to relax from your months of school stress, without the huge risk of overexerting yourself.
Or, you could go for a light run. It’s getting cold and some people may not be able to do this because of Asthma, but going to a casual road run in the fall can really be relaxing. Go in the mid-afternoon when it’s warmer and take a run through your neighborhood or a park. The leaves and the snow will make it scenic, and you’ll be doing something healthy for your body without the calorie counter on the treadmill staring you in the face.
You could follow up your run with some free weights, if you have them in your house. While they might not be of the same intensity as the machines you use at the gym, squatting with free weights will do the job of toning your rear and thighs. Using free weights while working out your abs will do a number on your obliques. If you weren’t up for the run option, doing free weights on their own is an easy way to stay toned while at home, and since muscle burns more calories than fat, they’ll still help you with the Thanksgiving calorie load. But be careful not to work out the same muscles two days in a row—besides abs, you can work your abs out every day—because it will damage your muscles instead of strengthen them!
Finally, if you’re determined to go to the gym, go ahead, no one’s stopping you! Just be careful so that you don’t get sick. And don’t take away from the pleasure of Thanksgiving by trying to rid of every calorie immediately.
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