It’s not easy to stay fit over the festive season. What with the parties and dinners in the run-up, the overindulgence and TV marathons at Christmas itself, celebrating New Year — the temptation is to throw fitness to the wind and start again in January.

It doesn’t have to be a choice between celebrating and staying fit, though. With a little planning and discipline, you can have a great time over Christmas without undoing all the good work you’ve done.

Eating Well but Sensibly at Christmas

It’s perfectly OK to enjoy the seasonal fare on offer, but you can indulge without overindulging. It helps to eat less at a time, but more often — five small meals will do far less harm that stuffing yourself to the gills twice a day.

It’s always important to set yourself up with a good breakfast, and to make it more festive, you could add Christmas fruits like cranberries, dates or figs. Don’t skip meals, but avoid heaping your plate up too much, or going back for seconds.

This is especially important with a buffet, since it’s tempting to keep going back just one more time. Choose a balanced selection, including plenty of salad and vegetables, and then move well away from the table.

Snacking is part of the holiday routine, but it doesn’t have to be crisps and chocolate. Fruit, nuts and pretzels are all healthier options that will help keep your sugar levels steady through the day. And drinking plenty of water is as vital at Christmas as at every other time.

Moderating Alcohol at Christmas

Drinking goes with the holiday season as traditionally as overeating. In general, alcohol isn’t great for either your weight or your fitness, because of the calories most drinks contain and because alcohol tends to dehydrate you.

That doesn’t mean you have to be teetotal over Christmas and New Year, but you can still enjoy yourself by drinking in moderation. Whatever your favourite tipple might be, keep track of how much you’re drinking. It’s far easier to keep count if you politely refuse a refill of your wine-glass till you’ve finished.

If you’re drinking, try to alternate alcohol with soft drinks. Be careful about your choice of soft drinks and mixers, though, since coke and fruit juices can also damage your efforts to stay fit. And, at the risk of repetition, drink plenty of water, especially if you expect to have several alcoholic drinks.

Keep Exercising at Christmas

It’s easy to forget about your exercise regime over the holiday. After all, your gym probably won’t be open at Christmas, and family and friends keep you thoroughly occupied.

It’s important to keep up at least a minimal amount of exercise, however. Doing thirty minutes early in the morning, before everyone else is up, will help stop you from backsliding, even if don’t actually make progress. Or, if thirty minutes together is too hard to schedule, try fitting in ten minutes three times during the day.

If you have home equipment, you can do a cut-down version of your normal regime. If not, going for a short run, or even a brisk walk, will help to counteract the extra eating and drinking.

Plan a Healthy Christmas

A fun Christmas needn’t be limited to being slumped in front of the TV morning, afternoon and evening. If you have kids (or even if you don’t), a trip to a skating rink or a kickabout in the park can be far more festive fun than being a couch potato. Or you could go for a family walk in the country.

There are alternatives, even if the weather’s too bad to go out. Although video games are often seen as the antithesis of an active lifestyle, there are plenty that can keep you active and still be fun — Just Dance, for instance, or Active Life Outdoor Challenge, as well as many others.

Most importantly, planning your holiday period will help you pace yourself. If you know you have the odd day when no-one’s expecting you to eat and drink, you can schedule those as no-alcohol, healthy-eating days, and perhaps do a little extra exercise. And make sure you have your normal regime scheduled in to restart in the New Year.

Feel free to get in touch if you want to know more about having a fun but fit Christmas.