Vote in This Week's Poll: Will you exercise over Thanksgiving?
Monday November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, maybe because of all the great memories I have from childhood - the time my sister tripped and knocked over the turkey pan, spewing turkey and gravy all over the kitchen...the time I asked my grandmother to pass me a roll and she beamed it across the table, hitting me in the head...well, maybe that's just how things go in my family.
I miss the old days now that I'm living far away from home, but my new tradition is taking a long run on Thanksgiving day to think about what I'm thankful for and, of course, what's for dinner. We're eating at a friend's house this year, so I may not get my cornbread dressing, but I'll definitely be thinking about how I might mitigate the calorie-damage with extra workouts.
Exercise is tough this time of year, so if you need a little help, stay tuned to my blog this week where I'll be offering some new workout ideas and tips for avoiding weight gain. In the meantime, vote in this week's poll and tell us about your exercise plans (or non-exercise plans) and leave a comment if you have any tips for staying fit this weekend.
Comments
Thanksgiving is not my holiday. While I am thankful for a lot, I do not eat most of the foods served. My husband and I have decided to go out somewhere this year for dinner so he can have his Thanksgiving feast and I will choose something off the menu. I need to start working out more anyway and it shouldn’t make a difference if it is a holiday.
I am very lucky. Right now I am doing excellent in both my diet and exercise. To show I am thankful for this success I will exercise through the holiday.
Every year my brother and I run a 5 mile race on Thanksgiving morning. It is a great way to start the long weekend of eating and loafing on the couch. I can say, “I ran 5 miles today, I can have another slice of pie!”
It seems like a mad dash through the end of the year beginning with Halloween and coming off daylight savings time at the end of Oct, Thanksgiving a few weeks later, Christmas a month after that, and then New Year’s a week later.
I will, however, exercise on holidays as I have in the past. For me, exercise is part of the celebration of life. And, exercise is relaxing and helps to un-jangle the nerves, since holidays can sometimes be times of stress, too.
Vacations:
In the first week of Dec 07, my wife and I were invited to visit in Hawaii where my nephew had his wedding ceremony. We were there for 4 days at the Grand Wailea. The hotel has an excellent workout facility, which I took advantage of the middle 2 days. During one of the sessions, Patti, my niece’s mother-in-law, stopped in when I was working out. So Patti was on the treadmill while I was on the elliptical. It gave us a chance to chat on a more personal level. My wife skipped her workouts, but we went sight-seeing every day, so we were always on the move.
Back in August of this year, my wife and I were in Mammoth for 5 days. There was no workout facility on the premises of the condo where we were staying, but we went on hikes for two days, and walked around town whenever we weren’t on a hike. The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful.
My wife and I seem to have incorporated our diet and fitness into everything we do and everywhere we go. And for me, holidays are no exception.
I will be exercising. Myself and my running team are meeting 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to run 5 miles! I think this will be a tradition for us!
I do four days a week so they can easily be worked around the holiday. I’d have no issues about lifting on Thursday but I work 7- noon, Grandma’s by 2, sisters by 5, inlaws by 7pm. So… doesn’t look like I’ll have a minute to myself Thursday. But doing four days, it’s easy to work my lifting days around my schedule.
I’ve always found it easy to exercise during the holidays. Whether doing a tabata workout in my room, taking a walk with a family member, or my favorite, playing football with the kids.
It boils down to discipline. I am of the mindset that everybody else will use it as an excuse not to do anything, so I am going to exercise and be one up on everyone else! seriously though, its just another day made up of 24 hours, like any other day so no excuses. Enjoy the holiday
Keep up the good work
Maxx
I got my AFAA certification a few months ago, so this Thanksgiving, I will be teaming up with another instructor for a 2-hour spinning class. May even get really ‘crazy’ and take a pool aerobics class afterwards.