Top Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays
December 10, 2014
Worried about gaining those few extra pounds this holiday season? As winter approaches, it can be easy to make excuses to be unhealthy. Although it is difficult to be conscientious about staying healthy during this time of the year, senior Amanda Rosenstein sets a goal for herself to “stay motivated to remain fit”, and incorporates many things in her daily life to do so. Finding alternatives to unhealthy food options, and simply taking the stairs as opposed to the elevator is a quick fix.
What’s one of the most important ways to stay healthy? It’s simple – stay active! At Hackley, there are a multitude of different fitness options one can participate in during the winter season. Squash, Basketball, Swimming, Fencing, weight room, yoga classes, and zumba classes are some of the choices available, some of which are formal winter sport teams and others that are physical education options. In special cases, exemptions for activities outside of school are allowed as a substitute for any sport or P.E. class, as during any season.
In off-season, many Hackley students remain aware of their choices regarding their health, in order to enhance their performance in their sport for the upcoming season. Sophomore Winston Britton says that although he isn’t participating in an organized sport during the winter, he continues to “exercise for at least an hour every day to stay fit”, and “eats well to stay healthy.” Sophomore Tucker Van Eck says, “A particular reason I eat healthily is so I can play well in squash which is in season now, and so I can stay fit for golf season.”
Sophomore Kristen Bringsjord says her motivation to stay active during the holidays is to “always be thinking about what can get me a step ahead of my opponents in basketball, and I think staying healthy and fit is definitely a way to do that.”
Are you inspired to get fit but stumped on what exercises to do? There are plenty of apps that can help with that. The App Store has its own section for health and fitness, and there are numerous apps to choose from. In particular, the 7-Minute Workout Challenge is an extremely popular app that provides a rigorous full body workout in merely 7 minutes. Its reviews were outstanding, and overall it was commonly called the “busy life” workout.
Managing portion sizes and the amount that is eaten in a day is another fundamental element to remaining healthy during this time of the year. Senior Amanda Rosenstein suggests, “If you’re tempted to eat unhealthy desserts often, find an alternative. When I crave having a dessert, I eat a frozen banana dipped in dark chocolate and it completely satisfies those cravings.” In addition, Junior Ella Charkes said, “it’s hard to stay away from rich and sweet foods during the holidays, but it is important in order to maintain your health.”
Thanksgiving day for many people is a day where they can let loose on their portions and eat whatever they want. To help keep off some of the extra food, freshman Pat Walker says “I play a lot of sports after I eat on Thanksgiving. I play basketball, lacrosse, and sometimes I go for a jog.”
Similarly, sophomore Will Cotter says he stays healthy by playing “Thanksgiving football after eating my Thanksgiving meal.” Working off the calories of an immensely large meal pertains to all holidays. Doing something active beforehand or working out after digesting a huge meal is also a pertinent aspect to staying healthy this holiday season.
An astounding and surprising statistic many people don’t know is that an average Thanksgiving meal can be 3,000 calories. There are many ways to change this statistic; for one, simply exchanging a buttery bowl of mashed potatoes for something such as a watercress salad with verjus vinaigrette is a quick elimination of about 100-150 calories.
Finally, when traveling to holiday vacations, it’s important to wipe down the seat area on the plane to help prevent getting sick. Germs are all over the tray tables, air conditioner spouts, handles, and headrests. It’s also vital to wash your hands constantly when traveling due to the germs that are everywhere in public transportation that can cause sickness.
Overall, managing portion sizes, staying fit, and avoiding germs are great ways to stay healthy during this holiday season, and using these tactics to stay healthy can be easily implemented through a variety of ways.
All photos by Alexandra Meyer.