Fitness tips to help you stay healthy this holiday season

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – From dinner rolls and sweet potatoes to pumpkin pie and whipped cream, maintaining your fitness goals during the holidays can be challenging, but there are steps you can take to prevent extra weight gain.

“Try to spread out your meals and not eat 3,000 calories at once. I know that when you sit down, you want to eat everything at once. Go and have some turkey and gravy and kind of just relax a little bit. Space out your meal as best you can,” Fitness 360 Personal Trainer Kijon Lee said.

Fasting and physical exercise can also help you beat the post-dinner ‘food coma’ feeling.

“If I eat a lot tonight, I’m just going to go ahead and fast as long as I can. So If I eat at 5:00 tonight, I won’t eat until maybe 5:00 tomorrow. Go for a walk. Just walking will speed up the metabolic process so you don’t feel lethargic and just want to do nothing for the rest of the week,” Lee said.

You don’t have to miss out on the gym or holiday fun. Lee said there are at-home workouts you can do for a good pump before Thanksgiving dinner.

“Doing basic squats, doing the lunges with body weight, and the curtsy lunge, they’re phenomenal. So you do not need to take a lot of time. The spry bands, you know, you can do a plethora of exercises as in the demonstration. Don’t let time, don’t let location, and don’t let cost be a factor,” Lee said.

Lee said consistency is key, so find a form of exercise that works best for you.

“I’ve learned, being a trainer for 35 years, that if you find something that you love, you’ll stick with it. That’s how you stay consistent and get results. Find something you love, move the body, mind, and spirit,” Lee added.

Lee is offering some Black Friday deals at Fitness 360. You can schedule a health consultation and participate in your first Afterburn class for free.