Nutrition by Dawn - Blog

With Halloween behind us, the holiday season is officially here! Every shelf in every store is filling up, and the smell of baked goods floats through the air, but there’s an elephant in the room amidst all of the holiday cheer. In a season when cozy evenings and sugary treats are all the rage, will you continue to push towards your goals, or will you throw your hands up in defeat and try again next year?

Thankfully, we don’t have to choose one side and stick to it completely. I want you to enjoy all of the best things life has to offer, and the holiday season is most definitely included in that!

This time of year is nothing if not busy, and if we’re being honest with ourselves, the easiest thing  to drop from the to-do list is our dedicated workout time. That’s why I’m bringing you three tips to stay moving this season so you can stick with your goals for the rest of the year.

1. Make your family time into movement time. 

One of my favorite parts of this time of year is that family time is on everyone’s minds, and I think it’s awesome that we all tend to prioritize quality time with our loved ones during this season! But with so many cocktail parties and dinners to attend, it becomes even harder to clear up your schedule and find time for the things you need, like self-care and a workout. 

That’s why my first tip for finding that time to workout is to add movement to your family time. Traditionally, your time together might be watching football or enjoying a meal around the dinner table, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find other ways to enjoy each other’s company. 

Maybe after the football game is over, you go outside and throw around a football yourself. Maybe you go for a stroll around the neighbourhood between courses at Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you try apple picking, a corn maze, or a hike through the fallen leaves. 

There are so many options for ways that you can gather your family and get moving too, and having time outdoors to move your bodies will help everyone feel their best and get through the craziness of the holiday season together. 

2. Don’t give up your me-time. 

We all need a little me-time during this season, so I encourage you to not be so quick to drop your me-time from your to-do list and be really mindful about how you spend it. If you only have half an hour to clear your mind, consider whether you want to choose to turn on a Netflix show to de-stress or if you’d like to go for a walk around the neighbourhood. 

We hear a lot of talk about getting 10,000 steps a day, but the reality is that that goal is not realistic for a lot of people, and you don’t even need to get 10,000 steps every single day to make a positive impact on your health. My personal goal is to get to 8,000 steps, and I feel like that is realistic for my lifestyle while still enough steps to challenge me to get moving. Choose a goal for yourself, and spend some of your me-time reaching that goal. You’ll feel great each time you achieve it!

3. Make your social time movement-centered. 

Cocktail parties and dinners are so much fun, but there isn’t typically a lot of movement while you meet up with friends! Rather than replacing those meetups completely, you can incorporate a little bit of movement while you gather. 

If you’re meeting up with friends for hot cocoa, find a great place to stroll and enjoy the cool air. Challenge yourself to train for a Turkey Trot 5k with friends. You can run together on Thanksgiving morning before you split up for your family dinners. 

Shifting your perspective can help so much when working through how you can enjoy the holidays and get moving, too. 

This season is full of tradition, and that’s a wonderful thing, but it’s important to remember that things don’t have to be done the way they have always happened in the past. Change isn’t always easy, but if you have goals for yourself and your health, every choice you make is a stepping stone along the path to your future. Make great choices for yourself because they matter, and you matter, too. 

What outdoor activity do you love this time of year? Let me know in the comments!

It’s almost here! Perfect Pairings is right around the corner with delightful food and wine on the menu, so don’t forget to grab your ticket and join us. Save your spot today right here, and invite a friend to join you!

If you need some inspiration for healthy living, please join me in my Facebook group Never Diet Again for a great community filled with great discussion!