Turning into a couch potato after turkey? Try Pilates!
Even if you clearly understand the benefits of Pilates exercise during the holidays, it can still be tempting to grab a seat on the couch and stay put. Furry slippers, flannel pajamas, and warm couch throws wrap us in toasty comfort. High calorie hot chocolate or festive eggnog encourage sipping and nestling. The holiday season is also football season. The cold weather makes it unappealing to go outside for a walk or run. Your family members may invite you over to a marathon watch party of classic holiday movies.
Turning into a couch potato after turkey? Try Pilates!
You aren’t alone. The APA reports that people in the United States are much more likely to report sedentary behavior during the holidays, including sleeping, eating, watching TV, and drinking. Don’t let sedentary behavior become a new life habit. Hit the gym for an hour or take a 30-minute walk. You’ll feel better, and you can always still catch your favorite show after you get home from the gym.
Fatigue
All the fa-la-la of the holidays, you can get fatigued. Sixty eight percent of respondents to the APA survey admitted to feeling fatigued sometimes or often during the holidays. One of the best ways to manage holiday stress and fatigue is to… you guessed it, exercise!
As counterintuitive as it sounds, exercise can actually help you boost your energy levels. No pumpkin spiced lattes needed. Harvard Health Publishing explains that exercise spurs the cells in your muscles to produce more mitochondria, which can create more fuel for your body. Exercise also causes more oxygen to circulate through your body, which helps you use energy more efficiently and function better overall. So, if you start feeling a little worn down this holiday season, that’s just one more reason to exercise during the holidays.
Pilates alleviates anxiety and depression
Not everyone finds the holidays particularly joyful. In fact, for those who have recently lost family members, have split with a partner, or for those already struggling with loneliness, the holidays can be extra painful. The holiday season also coincides with the shortest days of the year. All that extra darkness can trigger seasonal affective disorder or (SAD), a type of depression that affects approximately 10 million Americans.
Physical activity during the holidays can help alleviate some of these negative feelings. Remember, exercise releases endorphins in the body (the same chemical responsible for a runner’s high). Low-intensity exercise performed over a sustained period of time can also spur nerve cells to grow and make new connections. This, in turn, can help the brain function better.
So, if you need to chase away the holiday blues, hop into a Pilates class or head outside for a walk. Learn more about the mental health benefits of exercise.
Pilates holiday workout
The holidays are a magical time, but that doesn’t mean you should throw all your good habits out the window. In fact, physical activity during the holidays may be more important than at any other time of the year. Exercise can help you combat stress, prevent weight gain, help you maintain your good habits, get you off the couch, keep your gains intact, boost your energy, and even help you manage anxiety and depression.
Also, holiday physical activity will make it so much easier to hit new fitness goals in the New Year. While everyone else is nursing a holiday hangover and starting from scratch, you’ll already be feeling and looking better than ever. Sign Up for a Class at Chaise Fitness Pilates today! Better yet, bring your teen for a mother daughter class.
Looking for a Great Manhattan Pilates Studio?
At ChaiseFitness, we believe that anyone can be fit—no matter what skill level or body type. This belief inspired the creation of our patented Reinvention Method, which is for everyone—the athlete, the dancer, the beginner, the advanced, the rebuilder. We blend Pilates, ballet, and strength training and equip you with a chair and overhead bungees so that you work out all your muscles every time. We are located in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. For more information, you can contact us at (973)996-2063, or visit our website.
