Thanksgiving Tipgoodness

With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, it will be important to follow some crucial steps:

1) Do not skip breakfast - Thanksgiving Day is a notorious holiday known for breakfast skipping for a couple of reasons: A) A lot of cooking occurs in the kitchen. B) Hosts and guests believe that dinner, with all of its splendor, will be the meal of the day - adding in an extra meal is too much. Plus, your metabolism and your heart will be utterly confused by the consumption of a plethora of food without a proper breakfast warm-up, at the very least.

2) Exercise - Yes, exercise. This step is repeated every year prior to the cookout season and major holidays. Waking up in the morning and getting in physical activity will work wonders for your digestion of food later in the evening, will rev up your metabolism, and will help out your heart by easing the amount of work it will be put through on Thursday.

3) Have Fun - Family, friends, strangers, and eating out. Wherever you will spend Thanksgiving, make it a good time.

4) An Exercise Plan. Here is a heart healthy (more cardiovascular focused) one:

Warm up: Arm circles, arm swings, body weights squats, leg swings (1 set ea., 10 reps ea.)
Activity: Briskly walk,run, or bike around your neighborhood or a park for 20 minutes. Hills add more work to your routine.

If you are in the gym, try a treadmill workout with varying inclines for 20 minutes. Make the intensity a little more difficult than what you are used to if you have been training for a while (i.e., the same routine for most of the year).

Here is a strength focused one:

Warm up: same as the heart healthy routine
Exercises with only body weight: Squat Thrusts to Heel Raise (30 seconds, if you can jump, then jump. If not, then squat and push away from the floor until you are on your toes) -- Plie Squats (30 seconds) -- Push-ups (30 seconds) -- Lateral Lunges (45 seconds) -- Upward Dog to Child Pose Switch (30 seconds) -- Side Plank Holds (15 seconds each direction) -- Spidermans (30 seconds). If you would like to substitute in mountain climbers or even burpees, then those would be great at the beginning or middle of this routine. Perform the exercises for a total of 2 to 6 sets based on experience and be done. Go the full range!

Start the day off well!

Progressing,
Derek Arledge, CSCS