In Colorado, we’re lucky enough to have sunshine through most of the year. However, we still get days where it’s too cold to walk, run, or cycle outside. On top of that, the “holidays” are coming – Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas – where food is in abundance. Then, the new year inevitably brings weight loss goals to recover from the winter months of hibernation.

What if there was a way to nip all that in the bud?

Start healthy habits now! We’re not saying set a weight loss goal (unless you want to). That’s a lot to ask this time of year. So, start small.

Here are some tips to get you going:

  1. Set yourself up for better sleep. Avoid watching TV or looking at your phone for an hour before bedtime. This signals your brain that it’s time to wind down. Give yourself a full 8 hours before you need to be up the next day.
  2. Drink more water! Don’t focus on the age-old adage of 8 glasses a day. Drink enough so you aren’t thirsty and feel the need to gulp down a gallon at the end of the day.
  3. Go for short walks throughout the day. If the weather is cool, maybe it’s walking around the house a few times or going up and down the stairs. It doesn’t need to be an arduous workout, but a little can go a long way. You will never regret walking more throughout the day.
  4. Try eating more mindfully. No, this doesn’t mean meditating over every bite you eat, but it does mean slow down. Enjoy your food and the slower you eat, the less likely you will fill up. If you pay attention, your body will tell you when to stop eating.
  5. Pick one habit you want to change and focus on that, one week at a time. Most “diets” fail because we try to overhaul our entire lifestyle all at once, which is difficult to maintain. Pick one at a time and until you have mastered it, don’t pick a new one. Say you want to drink less soda and you drink one every day. Your new habit could be to decrease that to drinking 4 per week. Then try 3 per week. Then 2, and then… you get the picture.

If you’re feeling ambitious and need a tailored exercise program, contact us at Peak Form. We can look for any muscle weaknesses to focus on and provide you with structure, instead of you going it alone. Start now and you’ll be in better shape for the holidays!