Published to Newsletter on Nov 24, 2021
Admit it – you can’t stand those fitness articles telling you how easy it is to stay in shape over the holidays. They feature fit and fun folks sweating through another “way-too-enjoyable” workout.
They don’t depict the reality of the season – we all know that the holidays are busy. Between navigating crowds at the mall and juggling kids or grandkids floating on a holiday post-Halloween sugar ride, the last thing you have time for is going to the gym.
So, why don’t you take a different approach this year? Stop beating yourself up for that gym membership gathering dust. Instead, try these “creative” approaches to fitness that fit into your already busy schedule.
Fruit Cake Shot Put: More “brick” than cake. Put these unwelcome gifts to good use. Work on upper body strength and shot put those cakes into the trash. Then be sure to remove whoever sent them from your holiday card list.
Frozen Turkey Bowling: It’s 10 am on Thanksgiving Day, and you forgot to thaw the turkey. Don’t despair – keep everyone happy with turkey bowling then order pizza for dinner.
Black Friday Stiff Arm: Now’s your chance to relive those high school football days. Practice your Heisman pose and stay out of that store opening stampede.
Leaf Raking: Sure, this is a boring chore, but you’ve got to clean up those leaves at some point. Get your cardio in by raking them up. Just don’t overdo it – rake the leaves into your neighbor’s yard and go take that nap you deserve. It may just be Stella’s yard that you are contributing to!
Holiday Light Tug-of-War: Forget it – those tangled lights are never coming apart. So instead, turn them into a game of tug-of-war and get the whole family involved. Plus, if they break, you don’t have to put them up this year.
If you practice these strategies over the holidays, you might just be the fittest person in the office when you get back from winter break.
Then if you want to find equally fun ways to bring fitness to your workplace, contact the Employee Wellness Team at wellness@unm.edu. Happy Holidays from Benefits & Employee Wellness!
Tags: EmployeeWellness, Fitness, Wellness
