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Keep active and healthy this festive season with LiveWire

Christmas Dinner

From mountains of selection boxes to serious couch time binge watching the latest releases, Christmas can be a tricky time of year to keep your fitness and nutrition goals on track.

But the Lifestyles team from LiveWire are on hand with some simple advice about keeping healthy and active over the festive season.

From easy food swaps to fun ways to keep moving, the Lifestyles team have come up some top tips to make sure you start 2022 in a great place mind and body wise, while still making sure you get to enjoy the Christmas festivities.

Tom Kearney, LiveWire Lifestyles Officer said: “Christmas is an enjoyable yet hectic period for most people, so following a few simple lifestyle tips can help to keep you happy and healthy as you move into 2022. By following our simple tips you’ll be able to make the most of Christmas while still staying active and making some easy food swaps that will keep your nutrition on track. It can also be a difficult time of year for some, but there’s ways to help promote good mental health over the festive period too. LiveWire’s Lifestyles team would like to wish all our clients a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.”

Here are some ways to take care of yourself during the festive break:

  • Try not to over indulge – even though it’s Christmas. What we eat can sometimes impact on how we feel. Try to be mindful of your portion sizes – everything in moderation.
  • Keep your regular good habits in place eg. Daily movement / getting your steps in/ going to the gym / getting your five a day.
  • Enjoy your family time and relaxing and spending time together. Present-buying is not the only way of showing that we care about others. Christmas is the perfect time to reach out to loved ones who you may not have been able to spend much time with this year.
  • Be mindful and check in with hunger….. with so much food around we can fall into the habit of snacking mindlessly and overeating to the point of feeling uncomfortable . Enjoy all the delicious food that is available at this time of the year but think about your portions. Also consider making some easy food and drink swaps like swapping ham for turkey, crisps for unsalted nuts and make your wine a spritzer instead.
  • Let go of perfectionism.  A lot of people think the only way to get results or to have a healthy lifestyle is to set unrealistically high expectations.  You can still enjoy Christmas and work towards your health goals. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
  • Drink Sensibly. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only ever temporary. Christmas parties encourage socialising and it’s very easy to get carried away, but know your limits – it’s important to maintain your personal wellbeing too. Consider swapping cocktails for mocktails or enjoy some lower alcohol versions of your favourite tipple – there’s some great options out there no like Nosecco or Zero beer and cider from lots of popular brands.
  • Talk About Your Feelings. It’s hard to admit that at such an exciting time of year, you don’t actually feel that great. But talking about your feelings can improve your mood and make it easier to deal with the tough times.
  • Keep Active. It’s no surprise that cold weather and short days are not the greatest motivation when it comes to exercise, but research shows that doing exercise releases chemicals in your body that can make you feel good. If you’re a LiveWire leisure member remember there’s hundreds of @Home workouts on the LiveWire app that you can access from the comfort of your own home.

 

For more information on LiveWire’s Lifestyles team and the wealth of health and wellbeing services they offer, please visit www.livewirewarrington.org/lifestyles. For more information about local and national support services for mental health visit: http://happyoksad.warrington.gov.uk

 

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