The holiday season is nearly upon us. For many people, it can be a time of elevated stress from the near-constant parade of parties, holiday shopping, family get-togethers and travel. We’re also more likely to dump our healthy good intentions when it comes to food choices and exercising (who can resist that extra slice of pumpkin pie?). That’s why it’s so important to put extra focus on both your physical and mental health now instead of waiting to start your New Year’s resolutions on January 1st. Luckily, fitness expert, celebrity trainer and Vionic Innovation Lab member Juliet Kaska is here to offer a few helpful tips to get you through the holidays feeling your best.  1. Take YOU Time Tis the season of giving, but it is important to be giving to yourself as well. Every day, take a few minutes for YOU. Here's how: 
2. Lettuce Before Guilt It is almost inevitable that you will be indulging over the holidays. And, subsequently, the guilt will follow. Get ahead of that guilt and fill up on the good stuff before beginning any heavy meal. Before any entree, order a salad. Make sure this salad is full of lettuce–not cheese, croutons and other fillers. Use lemon juice or balsamic vinegar as your dressing and leave the creamy stuff off.  Here are some winter-ready recipes for the holidays with all the flavor and none of the guilt from Vionic Innovation Lab member Dr. Andrew Weil’s latest cookbook, Fast Food, Good Food. 3. Resolve Early You know it's coming: The New Year’s Resolution! So find that resolve early. Decide to wake up on January 1st, 2017, healthy and wearing the same size clothing you are today. Then spend every day between now and the first of the year envisioning yourself happy and healthy. 4. Sparkle Your Spirits Along with all the holiday parties and festive dinners comes the excessive consumption of spirits. I am not going to tell you to not have a little merriment, but be smart about it. Either commit to only having one drink and then switching to sparkling water, or switch your holiday beverage of choice to a wine spritzer: half a glass of wine and half a glass of sparkling water–half the sugar and calories either way you sip it! 5. Be Core Aware Every day, try and stay aware of your core muscles. Keep your abs drawn in as you walk, sit and drive. Keep your back extended long and tall to activate the backside of your core. Just the act of being aware of these muscles will help to keep them toned as you buzz from activity to activity. A toned core will make you stand tall, giving you good posture. And good posture gives an illusion of a smaller waistline–even if a little holiday cheer has caught up with you! 6. Work Out Smarter We usually set aside a block of time for our workout. Maybe it's 20 minutes a day, maybe it's 90 minutes a day. This can become challenging during the holidays while we're trying to squeeze in additional social commitments. A solution to this is to separate your workout into pieces. If you usually work out for 30 minutes, make it three 10-minute workouts throughout the day instead. This might include a 10-minute morning walk while doing bicep curls and lateral shoulder raises every other minute. Then at your lunch time, do 10 minutes of leg exercises: walking lunges, squats and plies. Before bed, do a third 10-minute segment of core work and stretches. This may not be as intense as your 45-minute Zumba class but is a heck of a lot better than doing nothing at all. Now try Juliet’s #ZenFitness30 Method–a 30-minute workout consisting of active stretches to lengthen you like a dancer, develop your core like a Pilates Pro, get your heart pumping like an athlete and calm you like a Yogi. Plus, learn how to actively meditate using Dr. Jim Nicolai’s breath-walking technique. Download our free guide along with video instruction.  About Vionic Shoes with Arch Support Feet were designed to walk on soft, natural elements like soil and sand, not the hard, flat manmade surfaces that make up so much of our modern world. Vionic shoes, developed by renowned Australian podiatrist and founder of Orthaheel® Technology Phillip Vasyli, hug your arches like a natural footprint, giving you all-day support and promoting a more active lifestyle. Many Vionic shoes, sandals and orthotic shoe inserts have earned the APMA Seal of Acceptance, which certifies they are beneficial in promoting foot health. For additional information about Vionic, please visit VionicShoes.com. |
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