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NOVI,
Mich. — Shortly after the mall doors opened, Douglas and
Ouley Saulsberry made their rounds through the hallways. They
walk the halls of both levels every day except Sunday, getting
in about four miles before most stores open at 10 a.m.
"I
call the mall the poor man’s gym," says Douglas
Saulsberry, 61.
He and
his wife, Ouley — retired teachers — don’t veer from
their workout routine at Twelve Oaks Mall, even during the
busy holiday season.
"I
find by getting up and doing this, I have more energy to take
care of all the extra things I have to do doing the
holiday," says Ouley Saulsberry, 62.
"I
find it even more important because I love sweets and there
are more sweets to eat during the holidays," says Douglas
Saulsberry. "Just last night I had a slice of rum cake,
sweet potato pie and Häagen-Dazs ice cream."
The
Saulsberrys are hardly alone. After all, ‘tis the season to
eat, drink and be merry.
There’s
almost no getting around it. There are Christmas cookies at
the office, pies and cakes baking in the oven at home , and
holiday parties galore!
With all
the extra stuff on to-do lists — shopping, kids concerts,
shopping, church programs, shopping, traveling, more shopping
— it’s easy to get off track and pile on the extra pounds
during the holidays.
"It’s
easy to gain 5 to 15 pounds just from Thanksgiving to New Year’s,"
says Colleen Greene, Wellness Coordinator for MHealth, a
healthy living initiative for students and employees at the
University of Michigan.
But you
don’t have to pack on holiday pounds.
The
University of Michigan and various fitness educators have
advice aimed at helping people through the eating season.
Think
one word: Maintain.
Maintain
your weight and maintain and/or implement a work out routine.
"This
is not the time to go on a diet," Greene says. "For
most people, that would mean setting yourself up for
failure."
It’s
more realistic to aim not to gain, she says.
A key
ingredient of maintaining weight and health during the
holidays is making sure you get in some exercise just as the
Saulsberrys do.
"People
tend not to be as diligent with their routines during the
holidays, but there are ways to burn calories even with all
the extra things you have to do," says Christina Eyers,
supervisor of athletic training at Henry Ford Health System.
"You can burn 240 calories during household chores.
Instead of using a leaf blower, get out and rake the leaves.
Find ways to be really active in your daily living. If you’re
going to the mall anyway, park far from the door. Take fruits
and vegetables with you to snack on. And take a bottle of
water to drink so you won’t be tempted by their sugary
drinks."
Eyers
and Greene say don’t let company be an excuse. Instead, get
active with your loved ones.
"Go
for a family walk. Go out and play touch football
together," Greene says. "Put on some music and
dance."
They
advise finding outdoor fitness activities that you’ll enjoy
so the holidays and ensuing cold weather don’t become an
excuse for inactivity.
That’s
exactly what Delores Muller, 40, did. She enjoyed roller
skating as a child and took up ice skating as an adult.
Now, she
ice skates at least twice a week during her lunch break in
downtown Detroit, where she’s a computer programmer.
"I
love it," she says of ice skating at Campus Martius.
"They play holiday music and it just puts me in a good
mood. And it’s also a way to get some fresh air and
sunshine."
Skating
during her lunch hour assures she gets exercise in spite of
the extra holiday duties that come with her three children,
ages 11, 9 and 7.
"I
also find that when I exercise, I eat healthier," she
says. "When I get back to the office, if I see cookies, I
think ‘I just skated an hour.’ I might eat a cookie, but I
won’t eat as many as I would have. I’d say I cut my sweets
in take in half when I’m exercising.
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Many
fitness facilities offer special packages just for the
holidays.
"Think
of taking care of yourself as your holiday gift to
yourself," says Nikole Saffle, senior program director at
the Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit. "You have to
prioritize you."
Saffle
says the Y offers guest passes for individuals and families.
"Think
about hosting a family activity day at the Y," she says.
"It would make the holidays different and special."
Be Nice
Yoga in Detroit offers a Home for the Holidays pass of four
classes for $20.
"The
holidays are the absolute best time to stay in tune with
regular yoga practice because it keeps you grounded so you can
share in the more meaningful aspects of the holiday,"
says studio owner and yoga instructor Monica Breen.
Tarek
Hamade, general manager of LA Fitness in Royal Oak, Mich.,
suggests that in addition to asking gyms about holiday
specials and guest passes, people should check facilities’
websites. LA Fitness, for example, offers free, three-day
guest passes online.
Fitness
club members with out-of-town guests should talk with club
managers about deals as well, he advises.
"Bottom
line is we want people to work out and enjoy the
facilities," Hamade says.
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