Fit for the Holidays

With shopping, parties and end-of-year deadlines added to daily responsibilities, the holidays are beyond busy. So it's no surprise that fitness often falls by the wayside. At times when your stress level is through the roof, it's even more important to maintain regular physical activity. Although an hour a day is ideal, even a quarter of an hour is better than doing nothing.  Fifteen minutes a day can help boost your energy levels, save your sanity and maintain your midsection. Here are a variety of options to help you schedule fitness into your daily routine, no matter how much time you've got.

If you have 60 minutes

Go ice skating. Ice skating is the quintessential holiday activity, and the best part is you can enjoy skating alone, with friends, children or a date. Look for an outdoor rink in your area to make the trip even more festive.

Try cross-country skiing. If you live where there is sufficient snow for skiing, you've probably already discovered what a terrifically challenging activity it is. Depending on how hard you're working, cross-country skiing can burn between 500 and 650 calories an hour for a 150-pound person, and the activity works several major muscle groups. If cross-country skiing can't come to you, try using exercise machines that simulate the cross-country movement at your gym.

Pick up "yard duty." Tending to your yard doesn't have to be limited to spring and summer months. Raking leaves, shoveling snow and trimming evergreens are all good workouts that help keep you and your yard looking and feeling good.

Get to a gym.  If it's cold outside, your health club will be warm and indoors.  And even if you don't live in a cold weather location, there's nothing like making exercise part of your daily routine and a fitness club is an ideal place to do that. 

If you have 30 minutes

Take a tour of the holiday lights. A brisk walk or jog around the neighborhood is a rewarding way to experience all of the holiday scenery, but be sure to wear plenty of layers, including a hat, for warmth. If you're taking advantage of the darker months, make sure to incorporate some reflective gear into your workout wardrobe.

Try a workout video. Fitness videos and DVDs are great options when the weather prohibits outdoor activity, and several videos offer workouts for 30 minutes or less. Another advantage is that they are easily accessible: check out Netflix® and your local video stores for some options, and also make sure you browse your local television listings for more workout options. You might not even have to leave the house to find the perfect workout.

Gather friends. Flag football, building snowmen, and indoor dance parties are all fun ways to blast calories and stress.

If you have 15 minutes

Do resistance training. Elastic bands are a wise investment for fitness fanatics with little time. They are affordable and long-lasting; plus, you can adjust the resistance by simply giving yourself more or less slack with the elastic, which means you don't have to buy new equipment every time you improve your strength. Lastly, with some creativity, elastic bands can be used for a multitude of exercises to keep your entire body in shape. To get started, try:

• Bicep curls - Stand on the middle of band and hold the ends in each hand near your thighs. Keeping your elbows against your body, pull the band up to your shoulders. Too easy? Hold the band closer to the center.
• Leg lifts - Tie the elastic band in a circle around a table leg or other sturdy, pole-like structure. Insert your foot in the circle so the band hits your ankle and is parallel to the floor. Keep your hips facing forward and lift the leg that's inside the band away from the table.
• Bench presses - Sit in a chair with the band wrapped behind the top of it. Hold the ends of the band and extend your arms, keeping your elbows up.

Create a calisthenics routine. Even with no equipment, you can burn calories within the comfort of your home. For example, try a 60-second set of jumping jacks, followed by a 60-second set of squats on a pillow (which will incorporate your core muscles for balance, making the squats more difficult). Then get on the floor for 60 seconds of crunches, holding a heavy book if you want to increase the resistance. Roll over for 60 seconds of push ups, and stand up for 60-seconds of bicep curls with soup cans. Start over and repeat three times for a challenging 15-minute workout.

Take the stairs. You can find a set of stairs practically anywhere, which makes this exercise extremely convenient. For fifteen minutes, simply walk up and down the stairs. For an added challenge, try taking the stairs two-at-a-time, or walk up sideways to utilize different muscles. Be careful with these methods though, and try to hold on to handrails to prevent falling.

If you have no time at all

Literally run errands. We all have to run countless errands during the holidays, so make yours beneficial to your health by power walking as you shop for gifts or pick up groceries. Do calf raises while you wait in lines. And of course, look for stairs wherever you can.

Take a break. Watching TV at the end of a long day? Use commercial breaks to do a couple sets of sit-ups, push ups or squats.

Circulate conversation. Even though you're probably tired by the time you make it to social events, try to circle the party a few times and never sit down. You'll get a few extra steps squeezed into your day, and you might even meet a few new faces. If you need to use a restroom, ask if there's one upstairs you could use. And stay late to help with clean-up and offer to wash dishes by hand.  Not only will that give your hands a bit of a workout, but your host will likely invite you back next year!