Written by Rhian Hunter
While the festive season is a great time for kicking back, and spending time with family and friends, most of us become too busy and end up feeling tired and overstretched.
Lack of time and days of events that are centred around eating and drinking can lead many of us to lose sight of the hard work we have put into ourselves throughout the year and often knocks us right off the new year bandwagon before it’s even got going.
But you don’t have to let your routine fall by the wayside, and nor should you have to restrict quality time with friends and family. It’s a matter of prioritising your time and finding a balance.
Movement should never be perceived as a luxury, it’s a necessity. It should be just as important as spending time with the ones you love, eating nourishing foods, staying hydrated, maintaining good hygiene and getting adequate sleep.
Here are some tips to ensure you avoid falling of the wagon, while still enjoying everything the summer holidays have to offer.
If you are strapped for time, try reducing your workouts to shorter and more intense bursts of exercise; 10-20minutes rather than skipping them altogether.
Use family gatherings as an opportunity to get everyone involved in some physical activity for example backyard cricket, basketball, dancing, swimming.
Go for a brisk walk with friends, relatives or even on your own after long periods of sitting down.
Use some of your time off to get out in nature; get up early and take a brisk walk on the beach or have an early morning dip in the ocean. Do a couple of sun salutations as soon as your feet hit the grass or sand.
Make a ‘budget’ for your eating and indulgences. This means allowing yourself a treat or two, but spreading them out across the holidays means you won’t over indulge.
True freedom is experienced when we have the ability to be totally adaptable. Enjoyment is what we strive for over the summer holidays, but we lose our ability to enjoy when we exceed our limits.
Your most important limitation is your body’s capacity to endure your indulgences. If you wish to end and start your year on the right foot, then it is a classic case of freedom versus responsibility, either you restrict your freedom a little bit each day, or nature will come along and restrict you for days, weeks or months at a time down the track.