MINNEAPOLIS — Are you trying to work off those Thanksgiving pounds before even thinking of the December holidays?
You're not alone.
With gyms closed and the weather getting cold, a local health expert said you can still get fit by thinking outside the box.
"I think the idea is really to be consistent and creative in what your workouts are," said Beth Lewis, director of the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota.
Let’s start with cardio. Now that's temperatures have dropped, what else can you do besides run or bike?
"You can do something like the dreaded burpee and just do five every minute for ten minutes and your heart rate will be high," Lewis said.
She said you can also do lunges, jumping rope, jumping jacks, wall push-ups or use a pull-up bar in your doorway. Another great tip is to do a 20 seconds "on" and 10 seconds "off" workout for 16 minutes. Lewis said it could be something like running up and down the stairs for four of those minutes and then switching to another exercise. She said that feels more manageable for some people.
"Oftentimes we separate out strength training from cardio and we can really do them together and that is a good way to get the heart rate going," Lewis said.
Lewis said food choices are important too. But she says give yourself some wiggle room!
"It’s ok to indulge a little bit and so let’s say you really like Christmas cookies and so you let yourself have one a day and the rest of the time I always say eat real food and at least five fruits and vegetables a day and Goldfish are not real food," Lewis said.
Still a skeptic? Well, Lewis says exercise is an all-natural way to feel better overall.
"If you do do physical activity, it helps with anxiety, stress, mood, energy levels, sleep so many things that affect your day-to-day functioning," Lewis said.
So take the time to embrace breaking a sweat to come out healthier on the other side of this.