Are you struggling to stick to your health goals?

With freshly baked gingerbread cookies and the premiere of holiday specials on TV, you start to doubt that your morning jog or eating cleaner meals will happen. Your healthy milestones and achievements shouldn’t be left on the sidelines. Just seek out ways to create the seasonal cheer and holiday vibes into your routines!

The best news is that you never can go wrong with warmth and glow from the motivation of the most magical time of year to any workout or wellness idea. 

Festive Workout Idea #1: Exercise Out to Favorite Holiday Tunes

Workouts can require creative ways to get in your movement for the day. Exercising to music may improve the quality of your physical activity. More upbeat and faster songs can increase your heart rate. Try to introduce a few holiday songs to your playlist to get the steps in. Are you feeling nostalgic for seasonal performances from VH1 or MTV? A quick online search provides retro vintage clips to watch as you move to the beat and sounds of timeless holiday songs from your home exercise bike, treadmill, or yoga mat.

Wellness Idea #1: Try Out Cheerful Haircare and Skincare Tips

 

Hair is an expression of your personality and time of year for both men and women. Taking a modern spin with throwback hairstyles from classic movies can help you find the right holiday hair for the guys. Don’t want to pull out that old sweater to a December holiday party? Glitter with the touch of traditional holiday-colored ribbons, scrunchies, bands, or clips adds shine and glamor to your festive look for the ladies. 

Are you finding that your hair has been lacking its previous length and luster? This could be a sign of androgenetic alopecia or even a hair loss condition. Your doctor can refer you to hair growth products and nutrition-based solutions for starting a more protein-rich diet (eggs, beans, nuts, meats, dairy produce) that can help keep your hair at its best for many holiday seasons to come. 

An extra dose of joyfulness to celebrate through skincare to match your hairstyle. Bright, bold, metallic eyeshadows or rosy blush can make any woman’s face look great for the most wonderful time of year. For men, growing out a beard can keep your face warm from the icy temperatures. You need to have top-notch skincare habits to protect your skin as you shave in the winter. Remember that everyone can use a moisturizer with SPF for harsh wintery weather and protection from sun rays that impact your skin long after summer.

Festive Workout Idea #2: Schedule Time For Wonderful Strolls

 

Your calendar is probably filled to the brim around this time of year, and you may be rushing to cross off tasks on a long holiday to-do list. Because of this, you should try to incorporate time to slow down and enjoy all the seasonal sights and sounds. Visiting your town’s holiday decorations display is a nice stress-free activity that the entire family can enjoy! Re-discover childhood memories by getting some movement from seasonal ice skating rinks. A quick walk also supports small businesses and shops that have one-of-a-kind handcrafts and novelty items that are sure to be great gifts or presents.  

During the holiday season, will you be spending time traveling to visit your loved ones? You can still maintain all your fitness goals away from home. Invest in some mini exercise bands, mats, or even a stress ball or two in a small carry-on or gym bag before leaving your house. Often when you travel, a lot of the downtime is spent waiting or in transit to hotel rooms or airport lobby areas. Passing the time can be challenging after dealing with multiple flight delays or other transportation issues. For many individuals, your guilty pleasure while waiting is spending hours mindlessly watching viral clips. Rather, you can use the time for a quick stroll to help feel more cheerful, and exercise may even reduce jet lag during extensive travel periods.

Wellness Idea #2: Create Healthy Options for Holiday Treats and Drinks 

What are the holidays without beautiful glazing fruit cakes, challah loaves, pieces of cornbread, cookie-cutter-shaped cookies, and hot steamy cocoa sips? Seasonal foods and drinks are typically high in sugar. There are many holiday recipes and guides with tips for cooking healthier during this time of year. For instance, using dates can be a great replacement for baking sugar. Long days spent shopping for the perfect present can leave you drinking soda from the vending machine that quickly gives you an energy crash.

Reading your nutrition labels will help you find the right fuel to power through the countdown leading up to the holidays. Slate’s chocolate variety pack drinks in mocha, classic, or dark with 0 grams of added sugar and 20 grams of protein will get in your nutritional needs while indulging in your sweet tooth that will make you grin ear to ear.

Cheers to a happy and healthy holiday season,

The Slate Milk Squad