Between the temptation of binge-watching holiday movies, abundance of sugary treats and desire to remain indoors to avoid chilly temperatures, keeping healthy habits can be tricky throughout the winter. Oftentimes, activities like walks around the block or healthy-snack prep get set aside during the holidays for other more exciting annual traditions. While it is important and meaningful to ensure we joyfully experience our favorite holiday traditions, it is useful to keep in mind how they are contributing to our family’s overall health–mentally and physically. It’s all about balance and creating a thriving lifestyle that works best for you! If you are interested in boosting your healthy habits during the holidays, check out these five tips!
Stay Active
When summer months offer such a great environment for swimming, park days, and other outdoor activities, it can be hard to find the motivation to stay active in the midst of falling temperatures. Try exploring fun, new online workouts from the comfort of your own home! YouTube offers an amazing variety of free yoga, pilates, and other general workout videos ranging from a quick fifteen minutes to an extended hour-long workout. If cabin fever gets out of control, bundle up and create a new activity to try with the whole family. Bike rides in cold weather can stimulate the nervous system, resulting in lower stress levels, and you can never go wrong with experiencing winter sights by exploring short hiking trails. You can even organize an obstacle course around the neighborhood to stay close to home and get to know community members who you don’t talk with often!
Keep Normal and Consistent Bedtimes
As exciting as the holidays are and as tempting as it is to stay up late, ensuring your girl gets enough sleep is a top priority. To tackle the rest of the healthy habits on this list, girls must start with a consistent 7-9 hours of sleep. Without enough rest, girls have greater difficulty making decisions, are less motivated, and generally struggle to regulate their emotions as well. Additionally, when sleep is minimal, girls lack the energy they need to participate in physical activities and engage with family members.
Schedule Time for Relaxation
As much as we’d like to imagine a holiday season that’s the perfect mix of adequate sleep, physical activity, and socialization, there are bound to be days where your girl (or even you!) just aren’t feeling the best. Try to counteract this holiday burnout by scheduling consistent downtime through the holiday season that gives each family member time to decompress on their own. When parents schedule an activity out on the calendar, there is a much greater likelihood of follow-through. Talk with your family about common stressors that come up during the holiday season and plan days when scheduled alone-time may be needed. When it comes time for those scheduled hours of relaxation, encourage your girl to unwind by reading, doing a low-impact workout on her own, or crafting, rather than solely focusing on technology.
Involve Your Girl in Holiday Cooking
Involving young girls in the cooking and baking process is beneficial in many ways. Take your girl along for the recipe discussions, grocery shopping, and ingredient measuring, explaining and exemplifying the hard work and and love that goes into creating a healthy meal for the whole family. From start to finish, include your girl in the process every step of the way. As your girl asks questions and takes on new roles, she will gain a new perspective about the value of a well-balanced meal and the teamwork that goes into making a holiday dinner possible.
Keep Normal, Balanced Portions
A balanced blend of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats are always the goal when it comes to making a plate for your girl. However, during the holiday season, it’s easy to load up on some of our favorite dishes and neglect the dishes that really even out a healthy plate. Remind your girl about measuring adequate portions, listening to her “full” cues, and savoring each bite. Girls are also at risk during the holiday season of developing unhealthy eating habits in the sense of undereating. Watch out for examples of unhealthy diet speech, and talk with your girl, if necessary, about the dangers of skipping meals to “save room” for Christmas dinner. Remind her that our bodies need 3 full meals a day, and that the healthiest thing she can do for herself at the end of the day is to treat herself with kindness!
Incorporating these habits in the midst of the hectic holidays can make a huge difference. From embracing new workout routines to participating in outdoor activities with festive cheer and involving your girl in holiday traditions, it's all about creating a thriving lifestyle that works best for your family. As you navigate the joys of the season, savor your favorite traditions while keeping in mind the importance of overall health. Here's to a happy and healthy holiday season for you and your loved ones!