When the holidays roll around there is an abundance of food temptation. Staying fit in the holiday season can be challenging. It’s easy to consume calories and carbs, but if you exercise you can avoid packing on the pounds.
“I would say that the gym’s a perfect excuse to eat all that stuff, right?” said Ian Bloom a trainer at Crunch Fitness in Blaine. “I’m still going to indulge. This is my job. This is my profession. But I’m still going to eat that slice of pumpkin pie. I’m going to use the gym and some exercise to kind of validate that.”
Bloom believes you can have your cake, pie, stuffing and eat it too – as long as you put in some exercise time.
“No one’s gonna come out of that heavy Christmas dinner fully affected by that forever…” Bloom said. “If you can kind of get in that mindset of, alright I’m going to treat myself to this dessert, but I gotta make it to the gym for at least 60 minutes today along those lines. If you can find that happy medium in life, you should be alright.”
START SLOW
As the clock ticks down on 2022, Bloom knows that many people are going to make fitness resolutions for 2023. His tip is to start slow and stay the course.
“If you come in here and try to force something you’re probably not going to stick with it,” Bloom said. “It might not feel like you’re changing the world, but if you just hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day and that’s what you want to do, that’s perfect. If you do want to try those weights, as long as you’re doing it at a safe capacity, there’s nothing wrong with that. ”
The Crunch clientele runs the gamut – from young to old, from fit to trying to get fit. But, some people come in with a microwave mindset and want instant results, which is not realistic.
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Bloom said. “You don’t have to be coming in here seven days a week. It’s just about finding an outlet for you.”
When it comes to exercise, the key is finding a program that is realistic.
“If you can kind of find a little bit easier of a routine, I think there’s more of a chance you stick with it,” Bloom said. “Instead of going, I’m gonna go to the gym for two hours a day starting January 1st for as long as you can. You’re probably going to get burned out pretty quickly. You can kind of dabble into it. Use it as an appetizer. Work your way up to the entrée. You’re probably going to last a little bit longer.”
EXERCISE OPTIONS
From cardio to weights, Bloom says there are many options for staying active.
“There’s so many different ways to train in the gym,” Bloom said. “If you’re a big walker, if that’s what you like to do, we’ve got treadmills. You can bike, you can lift weights. We obviously have the pool for your swimmers. But that’s the beauty of the indoor gym is being able to have that many more avenues to find the exercise of choice that you enjoy.”
It’s never too late to jumpstart your fitness routine. Bloom believes the best holiday present you can give yourself is the gift of exercise.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Bloom said. “I’m of the belief you got one body. It’s the best tool you’ll ever be given in life. I think it’s a crime not to use it.”
Consistency is important in any fitness routine.
“I think that goes back to the enjoyability,” Bloom said. “I think 90 percent of the people who come in here on January 1st are gonna have this idea of what the process, or the program, or the workout should look like, instead of being like, maybe I’ll try the pool, or maybe I’ll try biking for 30 minutes a day.”
So go ahead and have that extra slice of pumpkin pie. It’s s all good as long as you stick to a fitness routine.
“You just gotta find that equilibrium of fitness,” Bloom said. “Whether it’s exercise, whatever your routine is, and then you can feel free to indulge in all the wintry goodness that there is in the foods and meals that come with it.”
Most fitness experts believe that exercise, sleep and nutrition are the three building blocks to staying in shape.
