How to: battle the holiday pudge
Kolbe Kryzanowski
Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: Culture
The holidays are coming up and festive food is often fatty.
Between the honey-glazed ham, cranberry sauce and stuffing (and that's just the holiday meals) there are mountains of calories, fats and sugars ready to stick to your sides.
Couple this with the delicious delicacies of the winter season - cold weather makes exercise an unwelcome agenda item in anyone's day - and it becomes a full-time job keeping the pounds off.
The good thing is, there are a variety of exercises to stay in shape during the holidays.
So you get to stay in shape without starving or depriving yourself of the holiday treats.
Cardio: When it comes to cardio, most of us don't have time for it when the weather is nice - much less when it's freezing.
One advantage we, as UMKC students, have is Swinney Recreation Center. High intensity interval (HII) cardio is the most effective.
This form of cardio only requires 10-15 minutes of alternating between a walking pace and a fast running pace, and can be done on a treadmill.
HII cardio increases your metabolic rate for the next 24 hours, allowing your body to process food faster and more efficiently.
Anaerobic: When it comes to non-cardio, many people often think it has nothing to do with weight management or image.
This is entirely false. Anaerobic exercise burns a substantial amount of calories and helps "even out" your body.
Some easy exercises you can do in your own room include push-ups, bicycle crunches, lunges and pull-ups.
Most of these exercises can be seen at http://health.msn.com/fitness/fit-zon/.
Most anaerobic exercises have aerobic qualities and, when done correctly, can serve as a suitable substitute for a short cardio workout.
Push yourself: When working out, make the most of it. If you think you can only do 10 push-ups, go for 15.
Pushing your muscles is what causes them to burn more calories and tone up.
Don't be afraid of the weights - get a banana and some raw spinach (which contains amino acids that promote muscle health and make you sore for shorter periods of time) and hit Swinney.
Even if it's only a 20-minute workout, it's better than nothing.
Diet: Rather than eating a few large meals a day, eat four or five smaller meals.
Also, eat slower. You will find if you pace your eating, you will eat less.
Avoid eating in front of the TV because eating with distractions only tricks your brain into eating more since it is not aware of how much is being ingested.
For breakfast, eat at least 20 grams of protein.
Protein in the morning allows your body to burn substantially more calories during the day.
And finally, avoid eating right before you go to bed because your metabolism slows down drastically when you sleep.
Take these tips into account and you are sure to have a safe, skinny and fun holiday season.
kkrzyzanowski@unews.com
Between the honey-glazed ham, cranberry sauce and stuffing (and that's just the holiday meals) there are mountains of calories, fats and sugars ready to stick to your sides.
Couple this with the delicious delicacies of the winter season - cold weather makes exercise an unwelcome agenda item in anyone's day - and it becomes a full-time job keeping the pounds off.
The good thing is, there are a variety of exercises to stay in shape during the holidays.
So you get to stay in shape without starving or depriving yourself of the holiday treats.
Cardio: When it comes to cardio, most of us don't have time for it when the weather is nice - much less when it's freezing.
One advantage we, as UMKC students, have is Swinney Recreation Center. High intensity interval (HII) cardio is the most effective.
This form of cardio only requires 10-15 minutes of alternating between a walking pace and a fast running pace, and can be done on a treadmill.
HII cardio increases your metabolic rate for the next 24 hours, allowing your body to process food faster and more efficiently.
Anaerobic: When it comes to non-cardio, many people often think it has nothing to do with weight management or image.
This is entirely false. Anaerobic exercise burns a substantial amount of calories and helps "even out" your body.
Some easy exercises you can do in your own room include push-ups, bicycle crunches, lunges and pull-ups.
Most of these exercises can be seen at http://health.msn.com/fitness/fit-zon/.
Most anaerobic exercises have aerobic qualities and, when done correctly, can serve as a suitable substitute for a short cardio workout.
Push yourself: When working out, make the most of it. If you think you can only do 10 push-ups, go for 15.
Pushing your muscles is what causes them to burn more calories and tone up.
Don't be afraid of the weights - get a banana and some raw spinach (which contains amino acids that promote muscle health and make you sore for shorter periods of time) and hit Swinney.
Even if it's only a 20-minute workout, it's better than nothing.
Diet: Rather than eating a few large meals a day, eat four or five smaller meals.
Also, eat slower. You will find if you pace your eating, you will eat less.
Avoid eating in front of the TV because eating with distractions only tricks your brain into eating more since it is not aware of how much is being ingested.
For breakfast, eat at least 20 grams of protein.
Protein in the morning allows your body to burn substantially more calories during the day.
And finally, avoid eating right before you go to bed because your metabolism slows down drastically when you sleep.
Take these tips into account and you are sure to have a safe, skinny and fun holiday season.
kkrzyzanowski@unews.com
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