As we close in on Christmas week, I hope you’re all feeling as excited for the holiday as I am. With all the build up and sometimes the stress leading up to it, I’m looking forward to the actual day when all of that is behind us, spending time with my family and sharing a delicious meal together. I wholeheartedly believe in enjoying the tastes of the season. And while I don’t deny myself of any of the foods I love around the holidays, I always do make an effort to maintain a balance and keep myself in check.
One of the ways I maintain a balance is by putting in a few higher intensity workouts. In the days leading up to and the few days after I make it a point to push myself a little harder whether I’m working out at the gym or being active outside. As I’m doing it, I imagine my body efficiently burning through all the extra calories.
Did you know that the average American Christmas meal is about 5,000 calories? If you want to plan your pre- and post- holiday workouts here are a few exercises that will offset your holiday indulgences.
- Enjoy One cup of eggnog = 225 calories
- Walk 40-60 minutes
- Enjoy One cup of hot cocoa = 150 calories
- 16 minutes of running at a 10 minute mile pace
- Enjoy Mulled wine = 180 calories
- 20 minutes on the elliptical at a moderate clip
- Enjoy Glazed ham (3 oz) = 120 calories
- 15 minutes of hiking
- Enjoy Prime rib = 1035 calories
- 2 hours of touch football
- Enjoy Green bean casserole = 130 calories
- 10 minutes of brisk uphill walking
- Enjoy Mashed potatoes = 230 calories
- 20 minutes of jumping rope
- Enjoy Sugar cookies = 110 calories
- Walk 20 minutes per cookie
- Enjoy Pecan pie = 500 calories
- 70 minutes of cycling
- Enjoy Pumpkin pie = 320 calories
- 45 minutes of ice skating
As I was putting this piece together I found a helpful site called Nutritionix.com. You can search their database of millions of foods to discover their caloric value and the amount of exercise you’d need to burn it off.
