Sometimes, it seems like decking the halls during the holiday season is a recipe for diet disaster.  I don’t know about you, but during this time of year, there always seems to be some homemade cookies lying about.  And eggnog.  Ooh – and candy canes!  The temptations seem endless.

In addition, with the hustle-bustle of the holidays, it’s seems easy to justify skipping the gym. If you find yourself struggling to find the time to get your 30 minutes of exercise in each day, you’re not alone.

I’ve compiled a list of holiday activities, along with the calories they burn per hour*.  So while these won’t replace your traditional workout, at least you can feel better knowing that the snowball fight you had earlier may have actually been good for your health!

Decking the halls (and tree!) – 178 calories. With all of the aerobics that seem to be required for hanging lights and decorating the tree, it’s no surprise that you expend a bit of energy. So the next time that all of the lights don’t turn on when you plug them in, just remember that fixing them gives you a chance to burn a few more calories!

Having a snowball fight. – 321 calories.  Not only is this activity fun, it’s a great calorie burner! At the next family get-together, instead of sitting around sipping egg-nog, challenge the in-laws to a friendly snowball fight! Not only will you forgo the constant temptation to nibble on sweets while sitting around, you’ll have some great memories to show for it.

Shoveling snow – 428 calories. Okay, so this one isn’t necessarily holiday-specific, but it still needs to be done!  This activity is definitely a workout, so make sure to take breaks and drink water. If you feel tired, don’t push yourself beyond your limits.  The snow isn’t going anywhere, so come back to it later.

Wrapping presents – 107 calories. This season, when you find yourself surrounded by rolls of paper and mountains of presents, the thought of the calories you’re expending should put a smile on your face!  While this is a lower-energy activity than the snowball fight, you can still feel good knowing that you’ve burned enough calories to earn one tasty holiday cookie!

The great thing about exercise is that, as you can see, it doesn’t always have to take place in a gym!  In fact, many of the things we do everyday can be modified into great mini-workouts. 

Need to vacuum the living room carpet?  Try to incorporate a few lunges as you clean.  Time to do some dusting before company arrives? Crank the music and dance your way through the house!

Leave me a comment and let me know what holiday “workouts” you take part in every year!

*Based on a 150 pound individual.

Related Posts:
Winter-proofing Your Workout
Recipe: A Better Pumpkin Pie
It's Never Too Late to Get Healthy

0