Post-Festival Fitness: Diet and exercises to maintain your body after festivities

The Winter season brings a long chain of festivals one after the other. Navratri, Halloween, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and the list goes on. And that is why the majority of people like winters.

With various festivals, comes joy, merriment, and lots of delicious food. Whether it is the Gujiyas in Diwali or Turkey spread on Thanksgiving, food is a huge part of every festival. Unfortunately, eating all that food throws away the efforts you have put into gaining that perfect body that you always desired.

So, maintaining your fitness, especially after a long festival bout is important to stay physically and mentally healthy. In today’s blog, we will discuss 10 diet and exercise tips to regain your health and fitness after festival food binging.

Tip #01: Reduce sugar consumption

Sugar consumption is one of the major reasons behind weight gain. It not only increases calories without any other necessary nutrients but also negatively affects the hormone that is responsible for burning calories and reducing hunger.

Added sugar like fructose, cane sugar, and corn syrup are the most common types of food sweeteners used in making festival sweets and snacks. When you eat more of these snacks, the sugar in it is bound to affect your fitness negatively.

Tip #02: Drink plenty of water

You may not feel thirsty as frequently in winters as you might in other seasons. The cold has that effect on your body. However, you must drink a good amount of water every day, at least water is the best carrier of toxic compounds in your body. It carries away all the waste and flushes it out of your body.

If you feel thirsty, make sure that you drink pure water instead of sugary carbonated drinks. This will reduce the intake of extra empty calories from your diet and also quench your thirst. Water can also reduce your hunger if you consume some before having a meal. This can play a small role in your weight-loss journey.

Tip #03: Don’t skip your breakfast

Festival holidays can be a little lazy, add the winter morning chill to it and people would rather stay in the cozy comfort of their bed. Many times when you wake up late, you may tend to skip your breakfast which can make you hungrier when you wake up late.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So make sure that you eat a healthy breakfast full of nutrients to keep you going for the day. When you skip it and feel hungrier, you may end up eating more than your body needs.

Tip #04: Increase protein intake

Proteins are vital nutrients for your body. They are the main constituents of our muscles. After eating the festival food with a small number of nutrients, your body needs a nutrition-rich diet.

Foods like lean meat (Chicken and fatty fish), soybeans, nuts, etc. are an incredible source of protein. Make sure that you include these in your diet so that you have the energy to go through your day.

Tip #05: Stay physically active

Festival chaos can disturb your daily schedule and that is why it is more necessary than you find time to stay physically active. Try to reschedule your gym appointments so you can exercise when you have the time.

If you are not able to go to the gym then make it a point to keep yourself active with different activities like walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming. This will help you to stop from being completely sedentary during festivals.

Tip #06: Talk to your trainer

Your pre-festival workout plan was based on the diet and the lifestyle you had before but festivals have a way to change that. So, instead of continuing where you left off before Diwali, talk to your trainer and get a new diet and workout plan that targets the festival body and brings you back to your normal, healthier self.

Your personal trainer will assess your body weight, dietary habits, and current lifestyle to give you a workout schedule that targets your fitness goal. With the workout and diet changes suggested by your trainer, you can ensure maintaining your fitness.

Tip #07: Stretch in free time

Stretching is a good way to keep your body flexible. It also relieves soreness from exercising and promotes pain-free joint movement.

During winters, if you are not as active, your muscles and joints may tend to become stiff and cold. Stretching can help you reduce that stiffness. However, it is advised to warm up your muscles first before stretching cold muscles as it may induce pain and injury. Stretching is great for stress relief too.

Tip #08: Avoid drinking alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are often a part of celebrations and festivals. However, it is wise to stay away from these beverages as they tend to mess up your physical fitness.

Alcohol is just as bad for your body as sugar. Alcoholic drinks are high in calories, slows down the process of fat burning, and induces hunger. All these can negatively affect your health and fitness. Instead of alcohol, go for healthier options.

Tip #09: Manage your sleep cycle

It is common to stay up late to enjoy the festival spirit with your family and friends. However, lack of sleep can decrease glucose metabolism, which leads to increased amounts of sugar in your body. This will eventually result in increased body weight.

Getting good sleep will also squash your urge for late-night snacking, which can increase body fat. So, get enough sleep to regulate your metabolism and maintain your health.

Tip #10: Meditate

Cleaning, shopping, decorations… With festivals comes the stress of being festival-ready. This stress can have an impact on your fitness. Increased stress levels increase stress hormone (Cortisol), which induces hunger. Cortisol, hence, stimulates weight gain and unhealthy eating habits.

Meditating can help you manage your stress levels and keep you calm during the chaos of the festival. Take some time in the morning to meditate in a quiet place. This will increase your concentration and reduce anxiety and stress.

Conclusion

People often are late to realize that they have gained weight after the festivals. More often than not, it is their clothing that makes them realize it. So, managing your fitness after the festivities are over is necessary to keep yourself healthy, physically, and mentally.

What do you do to maintain your weight after winter festivals? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check the blog for more interesting topics such as this.