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The holiday season can be a cause of weight gain, stress, seasonal 'blues' and overscheduled calendars, so this year, give yourself the gift of fitness! A general recommendation is to incorporate activities that celebrate the season; social gatherings with friends that involve something other than the usual overindulgence of food and drink.

You can enjoy the celebrations AND maintain a healthy focus. You can adjust your exercise program by reducing the number of days or by scheduling shorter bouts of exercise throughout the day. However it is recommended that every adult get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. (ACSM).

Most holiday challenges or 'stressors' are predictable because we feed into the pattern year after year. Are you ready for a change?  You can create new possibilities by following these THREE strategies to welcome the 'new'. 

The key to implementing a better strategy to manage the holiday season is to practice it beforehand, and not fall into the pattern of managing crisis or putting out fires.

The holiday season is the most wonderful season of the year but does this mean that we are eating everything we lay our eyes on? How do we set healthy and mindful "boundaries" around food, what and how much? Here are some questions to consider which are really more about a mind shift then nutritional advice.

• ​Your colleague has a habit of belittling you in front of your peers.
  
• Your friend calls again at 2 a.m. in distress.
• A family member insists on dropping in at inopportune times.
• Your partner has a habit of yelling at you.