The silly season is heavily underway, and while your Christmas party and the subsequent four day hangover might be over, the real partying is just beginning.
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Friendsmas. Family get-togethers. After work drinks. CHRISTMAS. The drinking and eating seems to never stop, wellllll into January. So how can you feasibly keep to a gym/fitness routine and commit to that health-life you’ve been so good with up until now?
I asked James Jackson, Managing Trainer at Paramount Recreation Club in Sydney what his top tips are.
1. The Clearer The Drink, The Less Calories
All that alcohol intake is going to seriously up your calorie intake, which isn’t great news if you’re shredding for summer. But who isn’t going to quaff a bevvo at their endless summer soirees, amirite?
If you want to drink but are worried about all the liquid calories you’re consuming, James says think clear and light.
Think gin, vodka and white wine. If you enjoy a spirit and a mixer go for a low calorie option like vodka & soda or if you enjoy a beer stick to something light like Pure Blonde or Hahn Premium Light for less calories.
He also says mocktails are, obviously, going to be better for you than alcohol. Just watch the sugar content!
2. Work Out On A Hangover
Just don’t go nuts too soon. James recommends light exercise like vinyasa yoga to rebalance yourself, saving the harder fitness for the arvo if you can stomach it.
Save a stronger workout for later in the day when you are feeling more recovered (and less dehydrated!). Some light cardio and strength work can help sweat out the rest of last night’s sins.
On a personal note, if I’m only 50% hung I find a gym class can actually leave me feeling better afterward.
3. Be Honest With Yourself
There is no point booking your regular four gym classes through the week when you know you’ve got two boozy lunches and a party lined up. Book classes on days you know you will 100% commit, and avoid scheduling in classes at inconvenient times like 5.30am on a Thursday when you’ve got a massive week lined up.
If you need to cut back over the silly season, James suggests committing to a really hard workout.
A high intensity workout like our Paramount High class gives you a lot of bang for your buck while incorporating functional movements and compound lifts all into one class. Keeping a routine can be tricky during the festive season so I recommend planning your week out realistically and in advance… one good workout is better than three half-hearted or half-hungover ones!
He says ideally, you’d still be working out 3 days a week if you want to keep your fitness level high.
4. Get Back On The Wagon
One big tip James had for us was no matter what, get back on that wagon after a big night. Rather than curling in bed with a double bacon and egg sanga, get up, have a shower and eat something healthy.
Start the next day with healthy food and get your body moving (if you can’t make the gym, a swim is just as good). Avoid leaning into a hangover with greasy or high-calorie food. As tempting as it is to fry something up or order pizza the day after, what your body actually needs is a lot of water and a lot of nutrient dense food.
5. Swim
As James said above, a swim can be great for both keeping up your fitness and easing a hangover. Jumping into the cool ocean or a local pool will work wonders on a dehydration headache, and I personally find a hard swim far less taxing than a gym class when I’m hung.
Swim a few laps across the beach, or do some alternating strokes at the pool. Then pat yourself on the back, you ball of silly season fitness.
