While the holidays are a great time of food, fun, festivities and family, it can also be a trying time to maintain health and fitness. If you encounter sweets and decadent treats at every turn, it might be time to look at which workouts are effective at keeping the holiday weight off.
Jean Chen Smith is a Pilates studio owner and personal trainer with over 10 years of experience who focuses on healthy lifestyle and eating choices.
1. Running
Running is the exercise most people think of when they want to start a weight loss program. Not only is running effective for cardiovascular health, it’s free and accessible to everyone. All you need is a pair of sneakers and you can head out the door. Running works the entire body – legs, glutes, core and even arms. The key is to increase intensity as your body gets used to the movement such as adding sprint work or hill runs. Both of these will get your heart rate up and create a spike in your metabolism. Make sure to always check your form by keeping your arms swinging straight forward and back instead of side to side and look straight ahead so that your chin is parallel to the ground.
