HOLIDAY
HUSTLE

December 12, 2007

Fit your workouts in this holiday season!

If there was ever a time to test your will to stay in shape, it's now! The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are designed to sabotage your workout routine, and unless there's a hidden map to the treadmill buried in that fourth piece of pie, the urge to slack off may be too strong. Better do something now, or you'll be lugging those extra cups of eggnog with you as added weight come January.

Here are a few ways to incorporate some activity within your festivities:

PARK IT AND SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Hit the mall in the daytime and park your car as far away from the entrance as safely possible. After spending hours walking through the mall in search of gifts, you will burn even more calories carrying bags back to your car.

DO YOUR OWN DECORATIONS
Invite a few friends over to help you string your own outside lights and decorations instead of having a handyman (or your guy) do them. You'll feel empowered, and you'll work up a sweat climbing up and down the ladder.

PICK UP A SHOVEL
If you live in an area where it snows, don't hire anyone to shovel your driveway. As long as your doctor deems you fit enough, why not do it yourself and get a workout you won't forget? One hour of snow shoveling can burn just over 400 calories--enough to make up for a tall Egg Nog Latte from Starbucks, and then some.

WATCH YOUR STEPS
Keep track of your daily fitness, including how many calories you're burning while sprinting through the aisles of Toys "R" Us, with an activity watch.

Be merry, and stay looking good!

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