Breath, That Helps

Lately I've been posting articles for Silhouette's Facebook page and, as you may have noticed, a theme is emerging for the time of year. I try to choose articles that appeal to me because I figure they will also appeal to our members. Then as I look back over them I see a clear message that I have been sending to myself. "It's the holiday season and you are stressed!"

Here are the most useful articles I've found for identifying what's going on inside us between Thanksgiving and New Years and how to deal with it. Rather than let Holiday stress and eating ruin your work at the health club all year, use your work outs to moderate the stress.

I know from past experience that this is my "gaining" time of year, which is to be expected. I also know I'll be working it off again in the spring.

Still, you can't get carried away. It turns out as we get older there is still one net pound that will hang on if we let it. Over the course of a lifetime this could add up to 50-60 pounds! That is one good reason to keep chipping away at your gym goals through the holidays.

However, that is only part of the story. For me, the biggest reason to keep at it is mental. An article from WebMD put it best with their subheading "Food and Feelings: The Holiday Double Whammy." They make the argument that really it's emotional cues that make us overeat around this time of year. There are the positive and the negative. On the positive side, you want to go out with your friends, coworkers, and spend time spoiling your family. On the negative, old feelings can get stirred up with people you only see once a year. Also, there is the stress associated with holiday shopping and planning in a year when many of us are feeling pinched financially.

The Holiday Stress Survival Kit from about.com quotes Lucy Gilles-Khouri, Director of Dean/St. Mary's Healthworks at St. Mary's Hospital saying, "The holidays can play havoc with our health. In winter we tend to crave fats and sweets, but ironically, the more fat and sugar we eat, the less energy we have, and the more stressed and run down we feel." So, even though they may feel comforting going into your mouth, the effects of sugar and fat actually have the opposite effect on your body. The about.com article makes the point that Holiday stress is something that is real and should not be ignored.

The consensus on holiday stress and stress in general is first to be conscious of it and then take active steps to ease it. Women in particular feel pressure to please everyone to the extent that they feel guilty spending quality time on themselves. Recognize the things that get you stressed about and remind yourself that it is temporary and not worth ruining your health over. Make it a priority to give yourself a little time to decompress and don't make that time passive, sitting in front of the television eating macaroons. Make it something where you are actively stopping and focusing. Meditation and yoga are great for this. Of course a quick 20 minutes on the treadmill could also do the trick!

Here are some ideas from the Holiday Survival Kit:

• Have a positive attitude.
• Try not to worry about things out of your control.
• Problem solve with people around you. Ask them to help you alleviate stress.
• Exercise. A few extra minutes of exercise a day can benefit your overall health.
• Eat Nutritional food. Decrease the amount of fat and sugar you eat.
• Meditate, or take a class in relaxation and stretching techniques --like Tai Chi or Yoga.
• Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages.
• Rest. Try to get eight hours of sleep each day.
• Get a massage. A massage can be beneficial for the mind and body.

Another idea from Divine Caroline's Julia Allison is to make a list of all the things that really make you happy. I really like this one because it's not about what could make you happy, it's all the specific little things that you do everyday that you enjoy.

A condensed version of my list:

• Listening to NPR podcasts like This American Life while cooking dinner
• The reaction of my boyfriend when he eats the dinner I made
• Putting the dryer sheets in the wastebasket and being able to smell them all week like air freshener
• Meeting friends to go running
• Playing and singing songs with my acoustic guitar
• Hearing people's stories about how exercise has changed their lives

It's actually those silly little things that I add to my routine that make them interesting to me. It may not look glamorous but it does make me feel more content just looking at it.

So back to my original point. I have been feeling a bit frustrated feeling like the work I've done with running this year is taking a back seat with all the extra things I have to do and eat. Also, I'm definitely feeling stressed thinking about Christmas shopping and figuring out how to do it within my means. That's why I think it's important to recognize that it is not my imagination. These are real stressors. Also it is O.K. to make something like running a real priority even if it happens a bit less. At least when I'm running I am limiting some of the effects of my mother's delicious cookies. Also, it's time spent breathing deep and not stressing. Really, I am doing it for the people around me because they will like dealing with me a lot better after I've been running and decompressing than when I'm wound up with shopping anxiety.

For those of you who are not gym junkies by nature, exercise will give you the same de-stressing side effects and as an added benefit you'll know that if you can make it in now it will be smooth sailing come swimsuit season!

Don't forget to take advantage of our specials if you need extra incentive. This is the only time of year we offer this many discounts.