How to save your body & mind from the holidays
Everyone loves friends, family, parties, and extra time off. No one loves chaotic travel, the stress of gift-giving decisions, and the struggle to find time to work out.
Here’s how to ward off stress, anxiety, stiffness, aches, pains, and weight gain by following the lead of NEOU instructors:
The 4 moves to do in your airplane seat
It’s well-documented that prolonged sitting increases pain and can even affect our mental health. “When our body feels cramped our mood can get just as stiff,” says Elissa Marshall from Breathe and Be. To release that tension, you’ve got to move. Elissa suggests this short sequence of seated moves to unlock good posture and create a mindful moment for you to take control of your holiday travel mood.
1. Figure-4 Stretch
Take 5-10 breaths as you stretch in this position.
2. Seated Twist
Blood doesn't flow as easily to our spine unless we encourage it with movement. Stimulate it with this seated twist. To get the most out of it, sit up tall on the inhale and twist deeper on the exhale; repeat 4-5 breaths twisting deeper on each exhale.
3. Chest Opener
We spend so much time hunching over smartphones and our posture suffers from it. Take a moment to sit up tall, wrap your arms behind you and clasp opposite elbows. Take 5-10 breaths lifting your chest in this position and when you release, notice if it's a little easier to sit up tall.
4. Thigh Lifts (Core)
A conscious center core can give good posture even more stamina, preventing you from holding onto tension in your body where you don't need it. Sit up tall with feet grounded and as you gently pull your center core in, try lifting one thigh into the air without dramatically shifting your seat. Do this on both sides.
And don’t forget to breathe
It's so easy to lose ourselves in the stress of the world around us when so much is out of our control. Taking a moment to notice your breath and remember that your energy is always within your control can be the most empowering moment of your day. Close your eyes and observe the next 5 breaths in and out of your nose.
For more moves to relieve tension throughout the body, check out Elissa’s “Breathe and Be Seated - Lower Body” on the NEOU
The 5-minute breathing routine for instant relaxation
Achieving a sense of calm during times of stress comes down to being mindful of your breathing, says Nick Novak, the creator of Five Points, which is a combination of breathwork, mobility, agility, strength, and coordination. “Observe how the breath feels at different times of day and on different days,” he says.
To become more in-tune with your breathing, he suggests an alternate nostril technique. Here’s how to do it:
Find any comfortable position and sit upright.
Close one nostril with your thumb and inhale for 6 seconds.
Use any finger to close the other nostril and release the thumb and exhale for 6 seconds.
Repeat by breathing in for 6 seconds before switching the plugged nostril and exhaling for 6 seconds. That’s one round.
Nick says to repeat this as much or as little as you’d like, but to be consistent. “Practice focus and observation through this exercise and then bring this focus and observation to any other activity you do.”
For more stress-reducing routines, check out Nick’s “Body Scan for Beginners” on the NEOU.
The 16-minute bodyweight workout you can do anytime, anywhere
“Finding time to work out is always an issue when it comes to the holidays,” says Christi Marraccini from GO. Whether it’s the traveling that pulls you out of your routine, or difficulty finding the time, something is always better than nothing. “A lot of people don’t know what to do when their schedule is thrown off and end up skipping their workouts altogether,” she adds.
Try this 16-minute workout whenever you’re in a pinch. It covers all of the major muscle groups and is formatted into a circuit so it’s as efficient as possible.
Shoulder taps x 45s
High plank hold x 15s
Squat thrusts x 45s
Squat hold x 15s
Butterly sit-up x 45s
Hollow body hold x 15s
Rest 60 seconds. Complete 4 rounds.
For a comprehensive plan to “beating the bulge” this season, check out the 30-day Holiday Survival Guide on NEOU. You’ll get the day-by-day breakdown of the workouts you need to keep things together.
