As the year draws to a close and festive celebrations increase it's very easy for your motivation towards your fitness goals to wane. I'm a realist and, if we're being honest, it's unlikely in the next 2-3 weeks you're starting that new programme, subscribing to that workout app or reducing your calorie intake.
(what a motivating start to a blog!)
But I want to give you some practical advice that will not only mitigate the potential negative effects of your overindulgence but will also set you up so when you're ready to start kicking things up a notch, you're in a much better position to do so.
So for the next 3 weeks of the year I encourage you to pick the low hanging fruit that is... consciously walking more.
No crazy diets or workouts, just one simple change that has a whole host of benefits and doesn't disrupt your lifestyle too much.
Why bother?
If weight gain over the festive season is something you're concerned about then adding in a few thousand extra steps per day will make a huge difference in offsetting that. People often forget that walking is a form of low intensity exercise, which is often what makes it so great as you don't even think about the fact you're exercising whilst doing it.
There are many low effort ways to get those extra steps in and here are a few suggestions:
- Take a trip to your local high street to do your Christmas shopping
- Walk part of the way before ordering your taxi to your Christmas do
- Get off a few stops earlier on your commute every day
- Take a walk to see the local Christmas lights display
- Get some headspace before your day starts by treating yourself to a nice walk
This list is far from extensive but there's several ways in which you could implement this strategy.
A few thousand extra steps per day is a good place to start, personally though I would go more aggressive with it and try and set the standard above 12,000 steps per day, but it all depends on where you are at currently.
By the end of 3 weeks of your increased step count you'll be fitter than when you started, won't be feeling the full effect of those extra calories and you didn't even have to step into a gym!
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