Shopping, egg nog, out-of-town guests? Add in some lunges, deep breathing and plan ahead to beat the effects of holiday stress.
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Any added stress on the body can exacerbate injuries or lead to pain and headaches. In order to fight stress Dr. Michael Pismarov of Performance Spine and Sports Medicine recommends heading it off in three ways, planning ahead, taking breaks, and exercise.
He said it all starts with making yourself a priority.
“As the holidays become more stressful taking time for one’s self becomes less and less of a priority and can significantly affect your diet and exercise habits,” said Pismarov.
Starting with planning ahead, Pismarov recommends setting aside time for shopping, baking, exercising and partying throughout the holiday to prevent last minute scrambling.
Once in the midst of the holiday he said it’s important to recognize when it’s time to take a breather. “Spending 15 minutes alone per day without distractions and allowing yourself time to clear your mind and slow your breathing can refresh you enough to handle the day’s strenuous tasks.”
To get through the holidays and stay healthy he said it also helps to be proactive and exercise. “Exercise will not only allow you to increase your overall health but also help reduce stress by releasing endorphins giving the body a euphoric and stress relieving response,” said Pismarov.
One of the biggest concerns his patients face over the holiday is how to find time to get to the gym. He said there is no need to leave the house to get fit, there are plenty of exercises that can be done throughout the day to get the heart pumping.
“Choose three simple body weight exercises that can be performed with no equipment,” he said. Some of his recommendations were Squats, pushups and lunges. “Going for a walk after meals will also help with this.”
Perhaps one of the most proactive bits of advice is to eat first and sip second. He said drinking with a full stomach can prevent poor decision making as well as over eating. “Beverages alone can also quickly rack up calories, five ounces of red wine can have up to 125 calories.”
To avoid as much stress as possible requires planning by allowing enough time to cook, clean, workout and decompress.
“Keeping on track with these habits will allow you to feel good over the holidays and prevent you from feeling like a grumpy and bloated version of yourself.”
