s you’ve discovered, holidays leave
little time for regular exercise. “From
Thanksgiving through New Year’s,
you need to plan for the holiday
'schedule madness,” says Fabio
Comana, a spokesperson for the American Council
on Exercise and a certified personal trainer. Here’s a
little holiday cheer for you: Those same chores and
errands that have you swamped can help make up for
the loss of regular workout time.
HOUSE CLEANING
When you stretch under the couch to zap a few
dust bunnies or reach to pick up magazines, those
multi-directional lunges are good exercise.
Yuletide tweak While cleaning, short bursts
of higher intensity effort can benefit your
cardiovascular system. After going upstairs to put
away clothes, walk back down for a couple fast-
paced trips back up the steps. Walk slowly on the
way down each time to recover. How do you know
if you exercised enough? Your house is clean.
Happy returns Vacuuming alone can bum 238
calories per hour. The potential weight loss and
toning benefit of an hour of intensive, nonstop
cleaning is roughly the same as taking a good hike,
says Robert Reames, a personal trainer and author
of
M a ke O ver Your M etabolism .
SHOPPING
When you brave
the mall this year, don’t fret
the lack of parking—embrace it. Park far away
from the store so you have a decent walk, says
Mark Сатрапа, owner of M. Сатрапа Fitness in
Akron, Ohio.
Yuletide tweak Have a plan, know which stores
you need to visit, and keep moving between stores.
The more constant the movement, the more you’ll
keep your heart rate elevated.
Happy returns Instead of earning a load of bags,
make frequent trips to your car and back. You could
easily walk a couple miles in a day of shopping.
COOKING
Grab your whisks and stir ingredients instead of
using a blender.
Yuletide tweak The motion from stirring will give
you some exercise. Also, have a couple full 20-ounce
water bottles handy; while monitoring pots hold the
bottles like dumbbells and do a few repetitions of
bicep curls, recommends Reames. Happy returns
Blending by hand burns 136 calorics per hour, and a
couple dozen repetitions with the water bottles
helps tone your arms.
healthy you
Pump Up
Holiday Chores
Try these tweaks to sneak in
some extra yuletide exercise.
BV DOUG DONALDSON
FIT N E S S
Party vour wav to fitness
Host m ore active gatherings this year
instead o f the usual sedentary cocktail
party. For example, try:
M EETING AT THE RINK You can still
bring items for a holiday spread, but set
them aside and only dig in after everyone
has a chance to strap on blades and
explore their inner figure skater.
RE-CREATING FRO STY Host a snowm an-
making party. Each person whips up a
sculpture that resem bles himself or herself
(if abstractly).
OUTRUNNING THE W EATHER Ask the
gang to sign up to participate in a winter
event, such as a
5
k jog or a chilly charity
walk. You'd be surprised at how many
events still go on through the colder
months. Check out the race planner at
runnersworld.com
for ideas.
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DECEMBER 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
IL L U S T R A T IO N : V E E R
