Fit & Fabulous: Motivation,Tips & Tricks to Get Fit, Stay Fit & Enjoy It During the Holidays & Beyond!

It's that time of year, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us. Between pies and traveling, it can be hard to stay active and fit during this time of year. A to-do list a mile long, a mother lode of family obligations, work parties and last minute shopping means it's hard to get motivated and stay disciplined to exercise. You're stressed, busy and it's cold outside, so why not just take a break from your fitness program until the New Year? Because there are 34 days between Thanksgiving and New Years and we at Joy of Fitness are determined to help you make the most of them.  We've come up with some smart strategies, motivational techniques and a challenge to help you make fitness part of the celebration all holiday season long.

Try a dance based fitness class like Zumba!

Need some motivation, nibble on this:

• Remember that exercise helps control weight. Want to be able to have your iced sugar cookies and eat it too, AND not gain weight over the holidays, then keep moving! When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the store or revving up your household chores.

• Remember that exercise improves mood. Need another way to deal with that pesky relative besides drinking that extra class of spiked egg nog, insist they come along to your intense interval class. That will learn them and make you happy too! A workout at the gym, a group exercise class or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

• Remember that exercise boosts energy. Winded by your gargantuan to-do list? Can't keep up with your boss at the annual holiday chicken dance competition... Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores 

• Remember that exercise helps promote sleep. Are visions of sugar plums dancing in your head and keeping you up at night. If you are struggling to fall asleep, or to stay asleep, regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.

Find relaxation and unwind w/ Yoga!

Need some tips & strategies to keep moving during the holidays and beyond, try these:

• Acknowledge and accept that the holidays probably will affect your exercise program to some extent. Then you can...

• Be flexible when your day gets busy. For example, instead of simply blowing off your 5 p.m. trip to class in favor of an office party at the same time, wake up an hour early and walk or jog before work. Or fit a brisk walk into your lunch hour.

• Mix up your routine. For example, if you are a runner, instead of running four days a week, try adding in a strength training class and/or yoga class. The novelty of the new exercise will hopefully be a stronger motivator than the 'need' to do something else during your normal exercise time. An extra benefit is that cross training is the best way to avoid injuries and improve your time.  OR if you usually take exercise classes only offered at a certain time, try a new class that is offered at a time that works better for you during this busy time of year- variety is the spice of life! 

• Organize your day the evening before. Prioritizing your tasks beforehand will help you find time to exercise. Each week, make it a priority to fit in three exercise sessions.  

• Combine exercise with family commitment. For example, hauling the kids up a hill a few times can make a sledding trip as beneficial as a jog.

• Just say no. You do not have to attend every party, go to every holiday extravaganza.  Take an honest look at your schedule, and instead of trying to squeeze exercise into your schedule, take other things out.

• Consider online shopping- saves on travel time, shopping stress and may save some dough. The goal is not to do more (as we all have a tendency to do this time of year), but to do less, but do it all well.

• Challenge yourself by creating a holiday wish list for one or more improved areas of physical fitness. Maybe you want to increase arm, leg , glutes, core strength or increase your cardio. Maybe you want to obtain more flexibility or balance. Challenges are fun ways to focus on one aspect of your fitness and to help you keep your discipline constant. Create your own challenge, whether it involves trying a new bodyweight exercise every day, testing different yoga poses or experimenting with an unfamiliar running workout. And be sure to check out Shannon & Erika in their holiday challenge!

• Create a home workout for yourself or check-out our recommended Joy of Fitness 5-20 min. home workout routine, for those times you can't make it to the gym or class. Squats, push-ups, and many other exercises can be done without any gym equipment.

We also love these suggestions from an article written by Sophia Breene on Huffington Post Healthy Living:

• Make It Official and sign up for a race, competition or fitness-y vacation like a hiking or bike trip in January or February so you have a good reason (and plenty of motivation) to stay in shape over the holidays.

• Try Feet-First Sightseeing. If you're traveling or going on vacation explore a new city on foot or bike instead of in a car or by public transportation (weather permitting).

• Find A Workout Buddy Stepping out at night for an 8p.m. fusion fitness class is much harder to skip when you're one half of a dynamic workout duo. Enlist a fitness-minded friend or family member (especially if you're traveling) to be your holiday exercise buddy. Encourage each other to lace up the sneakers for pre-dinner workouts and post-shopping trip runs.

• Treat Yourself No, not to that extra slice of pumpkin pie. If it's within your budget, indulge in new workout clothing or fitness equipment before Thanksgiving to boost motivation throughout the holiday season.

• Start A Fitness Tradition. There are tons of family-friendly holiday-themed running events in most areas. Sign up the whole family (don't forget the costumes) for a fun, goofy Turkey Trot or Jingle Jog. Before you know it, the annual race will become a family tradition. 

• Include Everyone. Working out can often be a solitary activity, which may explain why many people skip the gym when friends and family are in town. Make it a group activity by inviting visitors to join you at the gym or a favorite exercise class.

• Find A Promotion. Many gyms and exercise studios offer deals and specials during the holidays. Do some snooping and sign up if you find a sweet deal.

•  Act Like A Kid. Childhood winter favorites like sledding, snowball fights and ice-skating get the heart pumping. Head outside for a sneaky (and super-fun) workout.
  

Be ready for the mistletoe. People are attracted to strong, healthy people. Your confidence will show if you've been keeping up with your exercise habits.

Spring Cleaning: Breaking Free From the Clutter

Awe, Spring! The bounty of spring is upon us with it's effusive energy, kaleidoscope of color, heightening of the senses and brightening of the spirit- about time if you ask me!  It's a much welcome sign when the cherry blossoms begin to bloom, because that tends to align so perfectly with my awakening from the bleary-eyed haze winter casts upon me. When I do awaken from the fog, I am welcomed with a whole bunch of junk. From the physical clutter in my home to the clutter of pent up emotions and energy bursting from within, add a dash of weight gain and overall stuffiness and stiffness, well you've got one rattled and anxious lady, ready to burst. Mark Twain relayed the feeling best, " It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"


It's so nice to be able to get out and get moving again- to loosen-up, release energy, build-up strength and endurance again.  It's also a great time to open the windows, let in the fresh air and do some spring cleaning- breaking free from the clutter that physically surrounds and from the jumble within, in order to better take advantage of the new possibilities spring affords us.


Research shows cleaning and decluttering your home or office makes you feel better, decreases stress and anxieties, and can give you a workout!  You know I love anything that get's people moving and has the potential to make people happier!  So it couldn't have been better timing when I meant mother of three, professional organizer and owner of Around Tuit, LLC, Leslie Berlin Clesner, about a month ago. She kindly agreed to share her professional wisdom and some decluttering advice.

How and why did you become a professional organizer?

I was working for a non-profit in DC and there wasn't any more room to really grow, so I hired a career coach, knowing I needed to leave my job, but had no idea where to go.  While working with her, I stumbled onto the website of a professional organizer and laughed that people got paid to do what I've be doing my whole life! So, we explored it further, I found out there was a National Association of Professional Organizers, went to a meeting, met some people - and other "newbies" and it started there!  My best friend's mom (the girl whose closet I would organize) was my first client!

What exactly do you do? How do you help people get organized? 

A lot of what I do for people, most can really do themselves.  Oftentimes, people are just so overwhelmed with their "stuff" that they don't know where to start.  Or they are just too busy.  I can put things into perspective for them.  I'm a 2nd pair of eyes that sees something completely different from my client.  When you are living in something for so long, it becomes the norm.  You are blinded by and often paralyzed by your options.  I can determine the best place to start.  What to do first.  I put blinders on my clients to only focus on one thing or one space at a time.  I have rules and guidelines to follow.  I give direction.  And, I'm hands on.  I actually help you do the work.  Every client is different so things sometimes change from time to time.  But my methodology is usually the same.  I come and evaluate the situation, talk to the client about their daily and weekly habits, find out what is overwhelming or paralyzing them, then create a game plan.  What people don't realize sometimes, is that you sometimes have to work backward.  If you want to organize the basement, you may need to start somewhere else, especially if some of the stuff in the basement belongs somewhere else!  It's important to understand the client.  Everyone is different.  Some people want things behind closed doors.  Others are visual - out of sight, out of mind.  So, it's important to understand your client so that you are really helping them, and not making it harder on them. 

As a hands-on organizer, I physically help go through whatever it is we are working on, helping my clients make decisions as to what they should keep or not, what to do with it once a decision has been made and if they keep it, how best and where to keep it, and if they don't, what to do with it - recycle, donate, consign, sell, trash, etc.  I love finding a place for everything!

It's hard to pick one example of how I helped someone, but one client in particular has been a lot of fun for me.  I started working with him a few years ago - he wanted to rearrange his condo, re-paint, re-organize, etc.  I loved that he trusted me to help him pick paint colors, new furniture, a new layout for his space.  He has since called me back any time he wants to do something different in his place.  He's since re-done his bathroom and kitchen.  Most recently we did a de-clutter session which prepared him for replacing carpet, buying new bedroom furniture and getting rid of some old stuff.  I've seen his entire place completely re-done and I was a part of that.  He's also considering a job change, so I have put him in touch with my career coach, and I love knowing I'm a part of him taking a huge step forward in his life.  I love knowing when he takes that giant step toward a career change, his home is in order, the work has all been done, and he can relax knowing that's all behind him and focus on his "new" life! 

Any tips, tricks to help us declutter this spring?

Like with like.  That to me is one of the most important techniques in organizing.  If you get all of the same items together, you really get the big picture of how much you have of one specific thing.  It helps when making decisions of what to keep or not keep.  Once that's done, it's important to find a permanent home for the items.  This way, when you need something you should only have one place to look for it.  Certain things may need to be split up for convenience, for example, cleaning supplies in an upstairs bathroom for quick cleans, etc.  But, the bulk of the cleaning items in the house should all be together in one place.  And another thing I personally love to have is a container of misc. items.  It's sort of a "like with like" scenario.  All of these items have no home, so they "live" together.  And, when you are looking for that missing puzzle piece, or one of something, again you only have one place to look for it.  Another tip is to identify the "hot spots."  The places that constantly build up clutter.  See what the clutter is made up of.  Do these items have a home?  Can you remove the surface they are building up on?  Can you prevent some of these things from either coming into the house or ending up in that spot?  Be realistic.  If mail builds up right inside the front door, see if there's a space for a recycle bin or shredder.  Go through the mail immediately and get rid of the pieces you don't need.  The next step is to decide what to do with the pieces you keep.  That's where I come in.

What's one organizing tool, gadget, thing you can't live without- something that everyone should be using, should have.

I LOVE The Container Store's Elfa drawer carts.  They come in a variety of sizes and I just love them.  I can put one in every room in my house!  They are sturdy, good quality, smooth-gliding drawers that can fit in a closet, inside cabinets, or just as a piece of furniture.  They can hold everything from clothing to office supplies to arts and crafts.  I have one in my kitchen I use for snacks for the kids and another in my linen closet holding cleaning supplies, kids bath stuff and first aid items.  Their uses are endless!  I also love the men's and women's shoe-sized containers from The Container Store.  They have a good snap on lid, are clear to see what's inside, stack nicely and fit just about anywhere.  Great for sorting like items and storing them too!!

I am overwhelmed! My house is a mess!  There is no end to the madness. Junk has piled up and up and up- the kids, pets, what have you, have taken over the house and I don't know where to begin. What's your best advice?

Call me! :)  If you aren't doing it yourself (doesn't mean you can't), and you are at your whit's end and overwhelmed, call someone who can.  Sometimes you just need to admit you need some help and let someone else do it for you.  If your toilet was leaking, you'd call a plumber.  If you are disorganized, call a professional organizer!

I hope Leslie's advice has inspired you to do some spring cleaning. It sure has helped me tackle some of the big projects that were giving me anxiety in my household, such as the giant pile of  my daughter's accumulated school work and art projects as well as the overflowing linen closet. I feel lighter, relieved and productive since I have dug-in, dug-out and decluttered. Thank you Leslie!

Taking the Time to Make Time

I have been thinking a lot lately about my schedule and how I am going to get it all done, including a little time for me. I have sort of been freaking out, because my schedule is going to be picking up a lot here soon- not a bad thing, I know, and I am not complaining. I am actually really excited as well as very anxious. I have been a stay-at-home mom for four years, slowly growing my fitness business as my daughter becomes more independent. She will be in five day a week preschool come this Fall, so I have filled in those preschool hours with my Moms In Motion classes and Buddy Training clients. This will be the biggest increase in work load I have taken on since giving birth to my sweet baby girl. As you can see, time has been on my mind, and the timing could not have been more perfect for me to have come across the wonderfully insightful article entitled, Space for Change: Time Planning for a Better, Happier You written by Kay Cross, Med in the IDEA Fitness Journal (a professional fitness publication I subscribe to). I would like to share some of what I learned. Even though the article is geared to my profession, I think the basic concepts apply to all of us no matter our vocation, age, or stage in our lives. I also feel that if we can take control of our schedules, we'll be happier and healthier!