Month: February 2023

Did you know that, according to research*, we could potentially eat our way through around 6,000 calories on Christmas Day? That works out to nearly three times more than an average person needs!
Add to that the extra calories in the run-up to Christmas and the days afterwards and it’s easy to put weight on over the festive season.
Try these tips to keep your weight on track over the holiday:

• Avoid having too many boxes of chocolates around and instead of having chocolates on the tree, why not hang some personal mini gifts instead for the family? The children could make their own decorations that are fun to make but aren’t chocolate!
• Start the day with a healthy breakfast – smoked salmon on a sliced bagel with some light cream cheese or mashed avocado; or a fresh fruit salad with a little natural yoghurt will keep you going until lunchtime. You could even make some posh beans on wholegrain toast or a fancy omelette!
• For your Christmas lunch, fill up on vegetables and think about using less oil for your potatoes. Go for a lean meat such as turkey which is low in fat and high in protein.
• Enjoy your Christmas pudding but think about switching the brandy butter or cream for a low-fat custard, crème fraiche, or natural yoghurt.
• Alcohol contains a lot of calories so alternate your drinks with non-alcoholic ones to save on calories – or go alcohol-free.
• Try satsumas, healthy plain popcorn, raw veg and low fat dips, plain pretzels or dried fruit as nutritious snacks instead of biscuits and chocolate.
  Have a little of what you fancy – but keep it balanced!
  You can help to work off those calories with a bit of dancing in the living room or going out for a brisk walk or cycle.
  * The research study can be found here via the British Medical Journal.

Now we’re out of lockdown and we can look ahead to the Christmas season (although things will be slightly different this year). To keep you motivated and looking after your fitness, Zoe has put together 12 days of ab and core workouts called ’12 Days of Abs.’ These workouts are no more than 4 minutes each and are completely free of charge. Join in via our You Tube page or at our Instagram or Facebook page.

So from Thursday, November 5, we will be entering a second lockdown in England. This is very sad news, but vital to help save lives and reduce pressure on the NHS.

It is a time to try to keep positive, however. Keep doing your exercise as much as possible. Go out for a walk if you can and enjoy the fresh air and changing scenery. Nothing beats the sound of autumn leaves crunching under your feet on a crisp day! Pick up the phone and chat to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, or simply curl up with a good book – or perhaps try a new hobby if you have time.

Doing these sorts of activities are just as important for our mental health as looking after our physical health. We will be continuing to offer fitness and wellness classes online for those of you who are able to join us. Most importantly, everyone, please stay safe.