Coachella Holiday Fitness Tips

October is here and we know that the holidays are around the corner. For most of us, Holidays are a time of joy, family time and good traditional food. That often means putting health and fitness on the backburner. At a glance, neglecting our fitness might seem that it's the only way we can fully enjoy the festivities, however, that is not entirely true. We have to consider these three main factors to help us stay in relatively good shape though the holidays and set ourselves for summer success. Choosing food quality over quantity, timing our food intake, keeping up with our exercise is how you can do the holidays right.

Quality Over Quantity

Coachella is formed by Latino/Hispanic households and most of the time holiday foods include calorie dense foods such as Tamales, Pozole, Menudo, Bunuelos, Rosca de Reyes and Chocolate Abuelita. We need to prioritize quality over quantity to decrease our caloric intake. One way we can reduce the amount of calories we consume is by eating what we like the most and avoid all the other great options on the table. This strategy has been proven to work because the feeling of reward is greater if you eat your favorite food and therefore makes you feel satisfied. Your body responds by releasing greater amounts of oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins hence making it your favorite food. Although this is a limiting strategy it feels like a reward, this increases adherence and consistency.

We are all busy during the holidays with preparation, travel, and celebrations so keep your workouts short and intense. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is your savior through the holidays. HIIT is time efficient and it triggers an excess post oxygen consumption effect (EPOC) that helps you burn calories throughout the day, often referred to as the after burn. Because HIIT needs to be high intensity, working out under the guidance of a licensed fitness PRO is a must. At Desert Barbell we do it right, with our short term semi-private training programs you get the right amount of personalized programming and 1-1 attention in our groups of 4 HIIT training sessions. Keeping up with your workouts though the holidays should not feel like an added chore but a time to jump start your engine for the festivities celebrations. Keeping your workouts short, efficient and intense will help you enjoy the winter months to the fullest.

All in all, incorporating these three strategies you will maximize your holiday joy without sabotaging your fitness. Remember that what is important to you matters and you should not have to change your culture and what makes you happy, but you can always implement small modifications to keep yourself healthy. Thank you for reading and the Desert Barbell team wishes you happy holidays!