Essential Fitness Kit for the Holiday Season
Theholiday season can test the willpower of even the most dedicated fitness and health enthusiast, thanks to disrupted daily habits, tempting snacks for every occasion and of course, the lure of the sofa! But if you have the right things at your disposal to help you maintain the right shape and fitness goals, you can set yourself up for success. Here’s a roundup of everything you need to stay active during the holidays.
Calorie Tracker App: When it comes to controlling your calorie intake, information and accountability are vital. That’s where free-to-use calorie tracking apps come in, especially during the holidays when it’s easy to underestimate your calorie intake.
Activity Tracking: Portable fitness devices are great for reminding and motivating you to stay active, especially if you set a daily step or exercise goal.
Reflective clothing: During the colder, darker days, don’t forget to think about visibility when exercising outdoors. Invest in workout clothing with reflective strips, and consider a bib for running in poorly lit areas.
New Running Shoes: Winter is a great time to invest in new running shoes with good tread. During the holiday season, they often release new styles and models, which makes shopping for new shoes more fun.
Mini Bands: Stretch bands with varying levels of resistance are inexpensive and portable exercise aids. Perfect for warming up your hips, glutes, shoulders and back, use them as a full-body warm-up or for a quick endurance workout.
New Music: Add some new, uplifting workout songs (or even new episodes of your favorite series) to your playlist for extra motivation to get off the couch, run those next few meters, or get through a challenging workout.
Wireless Headphones: Less time spent untangling cables tangled in layers of clothing in the cold weather means more time focused on your workout.
Foam Roller: Become your own sports massage therapist with this useful device to stretch and relieve tight muscles all over the body, before or after a workout. Great for the lower leg after another hard workout.
Jumping rope: Good old fashioned jumping warms you up and gets your heart rate up – just 10 minutes raises your body temperature. It’s also effective as an interval workout if you can’t make it to the gym.
