Health Advocate Blog

The 12 Days of Fitness, 2018

The holiday season is in full swing! With all of the chaos and running around in preparation, you may be thinking that you’re getting enough exercise. However, it is important to keep exercising—and get as much activity in as you can—on top of all of the physical activity you’re getting from holiday prep. Squeeze in some exercise over the next 12 days with the following activities. We challenge you to do one each day. Good luck!

  1. Perform the Eagle pose—not exactly a partridge in a pear tree, but this pose will make you feel like a regal bird while giving your body a good stretch and helping your posture. Find out how to do it here.
  2. Do some bicycle crunches. Add this alternative to crunches into your workout routine to strengthen your abs and boost your heart rate. Click here to learn how.
  3. Stand up and shake it out. For every hour you spend sitting today, take one minute to stand up and shake your arms and legs.
  4. Call a friend, family member or coworker and as them to go for a walk with you. Don’t let the cooler weather get you down! Find a place to walk inside such as a gym, mall or other large store, or walk in place in your house. Buddying up to exercise is a good strategy to keep you active year-round.
  5. Beat work stress with this easy yoga sequence. Click here to get started.
  6. Do two sets of 6 squats. Need some guidance? Click here.
  7. Perform Mountain Climbers. This is a great exercise to get your whole body moving! Click here to learn how.
  8. Go for a power walk. Increase your walking speed by taking smaller, faster steps. Resist the urge to increase your stride length. Here’s a great trick for increasing your pace: Swing your arms faster and your legs will automatically follow!
  9. Dance to your favorite song. You’ll get some exercise and feel good doing it!
  10. Leap into the holidays with the following two exercise moves that will give you some cardio and work your legs. Click here and here.
  11. Aim to get 11,000 steps today! This will help keep you active all day long. Need some help? Click here for tips to get more steps.
  12. March in place during each commercial break during your favorite shows. Do you stream or does your DVR allow you to skip commercials? Then plan to mark for 12 minutes during your show.

Remember, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor prior to starting new exercises.