It’s hard to avoid those holiday goodies, but burning them off? Child’s play!

It’s very difficult for us to ignore the dessert tray during the holiday season. I know that all too well, since my aunt makes the best cheesecake this side of the Mississippi.

All of us BodyPump fanatics will all but likely indulge in certain holiday goodies, from Christmas cookies to the aforementioned cheesecake, and of course a glass of wine or too. The trick, however, is sticking to our exercise regime to keep those pesky calories burned off.

My weekly BodyPump class commences at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, and while the early evening classes typically do extremely well, not just because of the instructor, mind you 😉 but when big-time holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving come along, we typically run out of benchtops.

Why is that? Because you’ve got to earn that slice of cheesecake, that glass (or two) of wine and Grandma’s gingerbread Christmas cookies, and participants flood the room to do just that. How do we do it? We attend not one, not two, but three BodyPump classes a week. That is the recommendation for veterans. However, if you’re new, stick to one or two a week.

It is not easy by any means to stick to our routines during the busy period of the holidays, as we’re distracted by shopping, shopping and more shopping. However, even if you can’t get to the gym on a select day, you can easily burn a couple hundred calories by traipsing through a mall. An example: I spent a weekend shopping in New York City just last week, and I walked an equivalent of 7 and a half miles while going through countless stores searching for that perfect gift.

Nonetheless, it’s important to take an hour out of your day for some group fitness during this busy season. Not just to burn some more calories and have some fun, but to relieve some stress. I know when I take the stage, I’m in my ‘happy place,’ if you will, and I know you are too when you’re on that floor.

I’ll close by saying the biggest key to sticking to your routine, is doing just that, sticking with it. Even during this rush-rush-rush time of year, especially if we’ve made New Year’s resolutions, and if you can’t get to your BodyPump class, do some cardio or lift on your own in the weight room. It’s not nearly as fun as group fitness, but it works. Hey, we can’t give up on our goals quite yet for a measly slice of cheesecake, can we? 😛

Coming up next, I’ll share an awesome experience from my first Les Mills quarterly workshop in September 2010.

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.