How to stay healthy over Christmas

Christmas may be thought of as a time for delicious indulgence, but it doesn’t have to be. While many of us around the globe may decide to spoil ourselves with mince pies, Christmas can instead be the perfect time to prioritise our health and kickstart the new year with a revitalised bang.

Rather than ‘ho-ho-ho’, say ‘no-no-no’ to unhealthy temptations this Christmas and keep in good health right throughout the festive period. From reducing stress and limiting TV time, to playing games and avoiding pigs-in-blankets, join us as we look at the best ways to stay healthy over Christmas.

1. Stop Stressing
While Christmas may be known as ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, according to recent research, it’s also one of the most stressful. Whether it be worrying over gift ideas, hosting the family, catering for a winter party, or cooking the Christmas dinner, there are a number of things people typically worry about over the festive period.

It may be easy for us to simply say ‘don’t stress’ but ask yourself: is it really the end of the world if the carrots are slightly overcooked, or if your nephew gets a present they didn’t ask for? Christmas is just one day out of 365 so it’s really not worth getting that worked up over.

2. Stop Sitting
Over the Christmas period, it can be incredibly tempting to simply plonk yourself down on the sofa all day and watch the seemingly endless array of festive TV specials. While this may sound great in principle – nice and cosy inside way from the cold winter weather – being inactive in this way over a long period of time can be detrimental to your health.

Humans weren’t designed to be dormant – we were made to be up on our feet doing things. Why not encourage yourself and the family to go for a nice winter walk? Even if it’s just a ten-minute walk with the dog around the park, stretching your legs and getting your blood pumping is vital to keeping healthy.

3. Stop Stuffing
If you’ve ever eaten a Christmas dinner so big you’ve wanted to curl up into a ball immediately after you’ve finished, now we know why. Research suggests that the average individual consumes over 3,000 calories during Christmas dinner alone – more than the recommended daily intake for a grown man. When you add the alcohol, chocolate and Christmas pudding on top, it’s anyone’s guess as to how many calories you actually end up eating.

It’s no surprise then that you feel like curling up in a ball afterwards. Overeating in this way leads to indigestion, heartburn, weight gain and – perhaps unsurprisingly – lethargy, limiting your likelihood of burning off the calories later in the day.

Rather than gorging yourself at dinner, serve yourself a normal-sized meal, have a gap then, after 20 minutes or so, ask yourself if you’re still hungry. We’re guessing you won’t be.

4. Stop Staring
Rather than mindlessly staring at the TV for hours on end, it’s important to engage your brain. Board games like Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly and Charades are typically firm-favourites, but there are a whole host of alternative options to choose between.

Even if you aren’t a big fan of board games, there are a number of other ways to keep your brain engaged. Whether it be completing a Christmas crossword, setting up a new gadget or phoning a relative, it’s as important to look after your brain health over your Christmas as it is to watch your weight.

5. Start Sharing
According to statistics from The Guardian, more than 22,000 young people could be homeless over the Christmas period. Couple that with research from Age UK, which found that over 500,000 older people don’t enjoy Christmas due to painful memories, and it’s easy to see that the festive period isn’t as enjoyable for others as it might be for you.

With this in mind, why not think about helping out over the Christmas period? By voluntarily cooking a few extra mince pies to feed the homeless, or signing up to charities like Friends of the Elderly, you will not only feel good yourself but you’ll help out the greater good as well.

After all, Christmas is all about togetherness – it’s the ideal time to think about helping others, as well as yourself.