Prepare Now - By Ger O’ Sullivan

Now that Christmas is coming, a little time spent preparing for the festive season will definitely pay dividends. It’s important to get in shape before Christmas and keep the body ticking over. As the evenings get shorter and colder we begin to withdraw and take comfort in the fire and the television. This is quite all right and I would definitely encourage a little down time during the winter months. But, I hasten to add that too much time spent eating and partying can wreak havoc on your body’s metabolism. So a little time spent now preparing yourself for all those fantastic parties and family gatherings will pay off well into the New Year. It’s vital that we don’t go into total hibernation and allow all the good work achieved throughout the year go to waste. Generally we need to do some form of physical exercise. People, like cars, need to pay attention to the servicing and the fuel they put in their bodies. If you get too relaxed you may find it very difficult to get back into the swing of things once the festive season comes to an end. A little bit of planning and attention to your exercise routine will have you full of bounce and vitality heading into the spring.






A good starting point is to weigh yourself now, and record this so you’ll have an idea of your pre-Christmas weight. I find that keeping a diary is a great way of recording information about yourself and how your body reacts to certain exercises and fitness routines. Keeping regular accounts of how your body feels, and what exercises you enjoy and find beneficial will allow you to gather information and plan for the future. It also means you can plan for ‘time off’ (like the Christmas break), without feeling too guilty about over-indulgence. Building an exercise routine into your daily life is the simplest and most effective way to get fit and stay fit without having to make too many sacrifices in other areas. To begin with I would recommend keeping a diary of the time spent each day doing activities or chores; for example how long you spend in work, doing housework, picking up the kids from school, etc. Establish a pattern and this will help you identify time wasted that could be put to more productive use in terms of your exercise routine. By keeping a diary you’ll be able to pinpoint exact times that you’ll be able to grab in order to do some simple exercises like walking, stretching or dancing. Another thing to consider is to bring your walking shoes in the car if you’re on the way to or from work, or to pick up kids from school or sports. Try to get there ten to fifteen minutes early and put on your walking shoes and go for a short brisk walk around the block. You might try to encourage other parents or colleagues to take part in this and maybe form a small group that gets together on a regular basis to ‘walk and talk’. Remember a short sharp fifteen to twenty minute walk, three times a week will make all the difference to your health and wellbeing. Some people think they need to do lots of long arduous exercises programmes to keep healthy. This is simply not the case; three to four times a week is sufficient and will ensure your body stays fit and healthy. So remember, get a diary going and pick out some free time and get walking or jogging or whatever makes you feel good.
Try to organise your exercise programme during the brightest time of day. This is normally between the hours of 10am to 4pm. (This may change as we head into the winter and darkness falls earlier). Exercise, like daylight is vital for the body’s health and wellbeing. For people who work shifts this is even more important. This is where keeping a personal diary becomes a great source of information on how to plan your exercise routine. If you are working shifts try to establish a regular routine of exercise, whereby you would go for a twenty minute brisk walk or run. If you have more time, incorporate a mixture of cycling and swimming into the week. This will allow the body to adapt and cope with your working life. Remember, you don’t have to do great distances in your exercise routine, just as long as you are committed to doing some sort of regular exercise three to four times per week. When we exercise during daylight we are exposing our body to more sunlight and to vitamin D. Vitamin D and the healing power of natural sunlight helps the body ward off chronic diseases like cancer, osteoporosis, mental disorders and more.
During the next couple of weeks you may find that you are being invited to parties and celebrations. This is all part of the festive season and should be enjoyed. There are a few things to remember that will allow you to enjoy the celebrations and still look good and feel healthy for the New Year. During the celebrations you may find that you are drinking a bit more alcohol, which dehydrates the body and therefore it is essential that you drink plenty of liquid (water) before, during and after the party. Remember you can have great fun and still look after your body. With regard to food, en- joy the goodies and treats that are on offer around this time of year… but in moderation! You don’t have to eat lots of chocolates, puddings and mince pies but if you are tempted to gorge a bit try getting out for some exercise the following day. This will help burn off some (not all) of the calories consumed the previous day.
When you are busy planning what to buy family and friends, think about buying or doing something that might benefit the whole family’s health. For example, have a look round the house and see what sporting equipment is already there and what use it could be to you and your family. Some great things to include in the Christmas stockings are tennis rackets, football, roller blades, skipping rope and some yoga mats. Try to get the whole family involved in one or two activities over the Christmas. You’ll find that it’s great fun and everyone benefits from the activity. At this time of year, many charities host charity walks and events. Try to find out if there is one in your area and get the whole family involved. It’s a great way of introducing kids to exercise in a fun way and also helps raise funding and awareness for your local charity. Look out for charity walks - maybe a paw trek (dog walk), or carol singing. When you are out and about walking and /or singing, especially in the cold evenings the body has to work to keep warm and this helps to burn calories.


Any type of exercise is good and once you establish a regular routine you’ll really notice the benefits, not just physically, but also psychologically. At this time of year it’s very important to keep the body active or as athletes would say ‘ticking over’. If you can at all try to get out for a walk or jog twice to three times a week for twenty to thirty minutes. The most important thing is not to STOP exercising, but to keep doing something to keep in some sort of reasonable shape. Once you stop it is very difficult to get back into any sort of routine and you’ll also find that your body starts to weaken and becomes more prone to injuries. Physical exercise doesn’t necessarily have to be hard work. You can attach a fun element to the exercise (like games with family and friends, dancing, or walking and chatting) and you’ll still get the same benefits. Find some sort of sporting activity for you and your family to enjoy over the holiday period. Try to incorporate regular exercise into your daily life, so it is a natural part of your day. Above all, enjoy the next couple of weeks before Christmas, stay active and have fun!





Contact Ger @ 086-3773173 or e-mail: gmosullivan@eircom.net
BA. (Hons) Dev. LMT. IMTA. NCTC. Certificate
Also available Sports Massage Therapy