Exercise at all times is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body and mind. Over the festive season however it can be all too easy to find ourselves indulging in a third serving of Christmas Pud rather than our third set of burpees. Whilst relaxing over the holiday period is important, and the odd treat here and there is perfectly fine, when we allow the festive season to take hold from early December into January it can become a problem.
Indeed, studies of the effect of the holiday period on weight gain have shown that we do indeed tend to put on weight (Hull, Hester & Fields, 2006; Helander, Wansink & Chieh, 2016). Now, whilst this makes sense, the good news is that it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enjoy yourself over the holiday period and nor does it mean that there isn’t something you can do the avoid weight gain.
Using the extra time off over the festive season to start up a new fitness regime is a great way to stay in shape over summer and start the new year or pre-season feeling great. A recent study by Mason, Pallan and Easter (2018) demonstrated that a program identifying the physical activity costs of foods over the Christmas period was effective at preventing weight gain and a new fitness program is a great way to meet these targets.
If you are looking to start a new fitness program or maybe need to overcome an injury first our friendly and highly qualified team at Capital Physiotherapy will complete a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan to get you on track for summer including Pilates. . We are conveniently located at South Yarra, Footscray, and Balwyn. You may call 0401 865 333 or drop an email at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au.