12 days of Christmas, 12 Christmas survival tips.
While the festive season can be a joyous time, it can also be a very stressful one, impacting our physical and emotional health. To help keep your health and well being on track, here are our top 12 tips!
1. Keep moving
Adults should achieve 30 minutes of exercise each day, and this time of the year is no exception. In addition to helping kick those Christmas calories, exercise also releases endorphins to help boost your energy and mood. The festive season is the perfect time to use your family and friends to help keep you motivated, so invite them along and keep them moving too!
2. Make better food choices
The average person puts on between 0.8-1.5kg over the festive season. While this doesn’t sound like a lot, research suggests the weight we put on over Christmas is rarely lost.
Remember the golden rule – Everything in moderation. Avoid overindulging on fatty and sugary treats by making sure there’s always a healthy option available.
3. Limit alcohol intake
As our body processes alcohol, we lose fluids and electrolytes causing us to feel dehydrated. This is what makes us more prone to the symptoms of a hangover the next day. To avoid the effects of dehydration, make sure you alternate between one glass of alcohol and one glass of water.
As well as staying hydrated, eating a nutritious meal before drinking help to slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
4. Get enough sleep
The festive season can be full of late nights, travelling and overindulging, all of which can impact your quality of sleep. The stress of finances or families at this time of year can also worsen any existing sleeping problems.
Be sure to pencil in some early nights to avoid falling into a bad sleep routine. A lack of sleep can impact our concentration and memory and limit how productive we are during the day. Poor sleep also weakens our immune system, making us more susceptible to falling ill.
5. Share the load
If you’re in charge of hosting this years festive party don’t feel like you have to do everything yourself. Delegate tasks and ask people to bring a plate of food so you’re not stuck with all the cooking and the dishes. If you’re attending a party bringing our own dish is a great way to ensure you can eat a healthy alternative while helping to ease the load on someone else.
6. Travelling tips
For many of us, spending long periods in the car or on a plane is a common side effect of the festive season.
Sitting for a long time in tight spaces can force us into awkward positions causing neck pain and headaches as well as making our low back feel achy and stiff.
When possible make sure you take regular breaks and move around.
If you already have any pains, make sure you get them checked by your local Chiropractor before you go, as the long drive may only make them worse.
7. Watch what you lift
It’s vital you don’t over exert yourself what carrying shopping or moving furniture around these holidays.
Be conscious of what you are carrying and how much you are lifting. When possible opt for a trolley to avoid unnecessary strain on your back.
Also, don’t forget to always use correct technique when bending down to pick things up to avoid injuring yourself.
8. High-heeled shoes
With all the gatherings that happen this time of the year, us women tend to wear high-heeled shoes more than usual.
Even though they not feel uncomfortable, it’s important to remember the effect they can have on your spine. Heels change our center of gravity, causing the pelvis to tilt forward, creating an abnormal posture and many muscle imbalances.
To avoid the effects of high heels, take a pair of flats to change into later or opt for shoes with a thicker heel to provide more support.
9. Stress reduction techniques
Research shows Christmas is considered one of the most stressful events in people’s lives, alongside divorce, moving house and changing jobs. Each day set some time aside to do something that makes you happy, such as reading a book, exercising or meditating. These will help you feel more relaxed and energized to survive the rest of the festive season.
10. Get adjusted
Keeping a healthy functioning spine and nervous system is vital to staying healthy and handling the stressors of the festive season
Check our hours online to see when we are available to help keep your body working at its optimum.
11. Relax
While Christmas can be a stressful time, don’t forget it’s also a time to relax and have fun with our loved ones. Enjoy the time off work and use this period as a time to rest and recharge for the next year.
Don’t beat yourself up if you overindulge a little or you forget to stick to your routine, just try to avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly and you’ll stay on track.
12. Plan your next year
December is a great time to reflect on the year that has been, assess what changes you want to make and set some goals an aspirations for the New Year. New Years resolutions are the perfect opportunity to start the changes and challenges you have put off in the past. So sit down and start writing that list so you can make next year your best year yet!
