Christmas, Hanukah, Boxing Day Test, New Years, Australia Day… Summer is a mind field of temptation and traps designed to derail your health routine. Boozy lunches turn into greasy kebabs, and late night parties mean the alarm in the morning is largely ignored. And in a terrible twist of fate, it’s also beach season, the moment of glory for your rig, finally on display after months of preparation.
The good news? You don’t have to miss out on any of the festive season shenanigans to maintain your health. It’s 2017, and you can have it all. Follow these tips and strategies and stay on track, remain fighting fit, and even advance your health a little during party season.
Plan To Workout
Workouts don’t have to be two hour slog-fests in the confines of a gym. You can literally workout anytime, anywhere, and if you’re always prepared for a workout, you will be able to squeeze one in. Body weight workouts are great for building strength, sweating it out on a run will torch those Christmas calories, and a dip in the ocean is always a welcome low-impact routine for your body.
However you go about it, preparation is key. If you have the right tools and gear with you, a workout is only a few elevated heart-beats away. We recommend SQD Athletica’s Xmas Kit. With SQD’s gear, you can be ready to hit a session at the drop of a hat, with their gear seamlessly taking you from workout to dinner in truly transitional activewear.
Beer Taste Better After Exercise
It’s true, it really does, and in even more exciting news, a recent study from Spain suggest that it’s actually good for you as well. No typos here, get on the beers after your workout this summer.
Professor Manual Garzon concludes that “after exercise and subsequent water losses [sweating], a moderate beer intake has no deleterious effects on the markers of hydration in active individuals.”
The researchers identified that the sugars, salts and bubbles in your schooner aid in the rapid absorbing of fluids post exercise, with the rehydration effect on studied athletes given beer being “slightly better” than those athletes only give water. The Granada University based study also suggests that the carbohydrates present replace lost calories more efficiently whilst the carbon dioxide acts as a top thirst quencher. Cheers to that!
It’s All About Balance
Use this period as a mental health break. Health is holistic, and yes eating and working out are key pillars to staying in form, but mental health is equally as important. Make the most of the public holidays, forced office closures and celebrations by taking some time to disconnect and unwind. Email out-of-office notices are expected, so put one on and turn off the phone for a few days. Be present in the moment and get ready to head into the New Year with the mental fortitude of a Jedi.
Be One With The People
This time of year is all about being with friends and family, with social engagements cramming the calendar. Remember, a social gathering doesn’t necessarily mean a meal or cheeky beverage. A workout, walk, or game of backyard cricket also constitutes some of the greatest social activities you can chase this summer. So grab your mates for a group workout and enjoy a vastly improved quality of life. That’s the message also backed by a new study published in The Journal of American Osteopathic Association.
The study, conducted on 69 high-stress medical students, showed that those who exercised in a group lowered their stress levels by 26 per cent. “The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone,” said Dayna Yorks, lead researcher on this study.
There you have it, direct from lead researchers and scientists: get in some top quality workout gear, be prepared, grab your mates and hit the beers for the best summer of your life!
