For a lot of us, this (LONG) Winter season has served as a great opportunity to get back on our fitness schedules. I know for me, it was entirely too cold to venture “off-schedule” unless it was absolutely necessary. I went from home to work, hit the gym then went right back home. On weekends, I tried to do only things that were essential like grocery shop and the occasional visit with family.
Now that we’ve made through the majority of the cold (fingers crossed), I’m starting to look ahead to the upcoming Spring season. Like most of you, I’ve got fast approaching plans for birthday get-togethers, holiday celebrations with the family, weddings and more.
The last thing we want is to lose all that fitness progress we just made, right? So, how do we enjoy ourselves and the warm weather (again, fingers crossed), and still stay on track?
Here are a few tips I have found around on the web to help us Party Like A Fit Pro:
The Pre-game :
– Workout: Just because you’re going out does not mean you can’t get a quick sweat session! Here’s a quick pre-night out workout to get you ready for a night of fun.
– Eat: You always want to eat before going out especially if you’re going to consume alcoholic beverages. Here’s some food Do’s and Don’ts.
-Drink Water: ALWAYS! There are so many benefits to drinking water. In this case, staying hydrated will help to prevent the unwanted hangovers. Check out a few more benefits to drinking water:
Game-Time:
Drinks (Always Drink Responsibly)
– Over the years, beer companies have come out with a variety of low-calorie beers to help us quench our thirst and stay on track – here is a list of a few options
– Choose a diet soda to blend your mix drink or use a fruit juice.
– Drink water in between drinks; this is a good tip for keeping yourself hydrated and reducing hangovers (See above for more benefits on drinking water).
– Don’t binge drink: Pick a certain number of drinks you want to have and STICK TO IT!
Food
– Bring your own snack: no host is going to frown at anyone contributing to the snack table. Bring your favorite healthy snack or experiment with that creative dish you saw on Instagram. Check out this link for a few healthy snack options
– Out to dinner: most restaurants include a calorie count or some sort of healthy food guide to go along with their menu. Take a look at these options and pair one with a nice light beverage.
– Dessert: It’s so hard to stay away from the dessert table. Again, I suggest bringing a healthy dessert option to share. Need some suggestions? Click this link!
Activities
– If this is the type of party with a DJ or music: dancing will always help you sweat out whatever you just put into your body. Think of it as a Zumba class in the club. I wouldn’t recommend pulling out the Zumba moves to every song, but this is a great way to remain active and possibly meet some new people!
– Party Games: anything that will keep you from just sitting around just drinking and eating all night, is a plus. If you’re at someone’s house, participate in the party games – try to avoid the ones that involve heavy or quick alcohol consumption; at the bar – play some pool, darts or ping pong. Get Up and Stay Active! And, remember, DRINK WATER!
Shots
DON’T DO IT! I know this isn’t a realistic answer, so if you’re going to shoot a shot – try and go for something with fewer calories and keep the shooting to a minimum (One and Done is always a good motto).
Check out the picture below featuring a few different liquors and their calorie count.
For more options, click here!
After-Party
– This is the time of the night where all diet inhibitions can go out the window. At this point of the night, our bodies are usually craving some sort of fast food! Here is a list of quick and eat “Healthy Drunk Foods” to hopefully keep you away from those Golden Arches.
– WATER, WATER, WATER!
– REST!!!! After a night out, don’t rush back to the gym. Your body needs time to recover and recharge, and it’s just not safe. For more on working out after a night out, click here!
