15 Dec, 2008

Ask the Coach: Fitness for Christmas

Question

As the Christmas season gets nearer, my stress levels are raising while my energy levels are dropping. The nights on the town drinking are catching up with me. Are there any activities around Christmas time that I can focus on for fitness?

Answer

You are not alone as there are many people whose late nights are rolling into mornings, and it’s all starting to become a blur. You are struggling with low energy and with the days to Christmas shopping running out, you have to make plans to save time.

You can save time by shopping online. This will eliminate the time spent queuing at the tills for presents. If you want to improve your energy levels, you need to re-consider your nights on the town and alcohol consumption. Alcohol will affect your sleep for days after your night out. You need to set limits of the quantity of alcohol you drink and if you do, favour a glass of wine over beer.

When you are training make sure your training sessions are short and intense. Reduce rest times between exercises or perform sprints instead of a long run to save you time.

The Christmas holidays will give you back eight hours a day when you would normally be at work. You can catch up with power naps. These short naps were favoured by Einstein to recharge his energy and clear his mind.
There are many charities organising fitness events over Christmas, so go ahead, and kill two birds with one stone as you strive for your health and fitness goals while giving back to the community.