Get Fit Before The Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means that, yes, the holiday season is almost upon us. This time of year is when we start spending more time with family, attending parties, experiencing more stress and, yes, eating more.

Eating LOTS more.

The food fiesta really begins with Halloween and goes quickly downhill from there. As I have said in the past – This is the most wonderful time of the year… to gain weight. While the statistics are all over the place as to exactly how much weight the average person packs on during the holidays, let's just agree for argument's sake that it's at least a few pounds.

This may surprise you, but I'm not a believer in super-strict eating during the holidays. Not a chance. My philosophy is that if you can't indulge at this time of year, when the heck can you? Are you really going to turn down a slice (or two) of your mom's amazing apple pie after Thanksgiving dinner? Is this not the time to enjoy a glass of wine or some of your aunt's infamous jello-with-fruit mystery dessert?

So I'm never going to give you a "Holiday Diet Plan." I'm not going to lecture you on how you should deprive yourself during the most festive time of the year. You can enjoy yourself and you should. Don't misunderstand me: I'm not giving you license to go completely overboard with you caloric consumption: I'm just saying this is not the time to try to make major dietary changes. I'm a realist, life is short and, if there's a time and a place to eat, it's Thanksgiving.

That being said, I am going to ask you to make one small daily change. I want you to commit to 15 minutes of exercise per day, every day, starting today. It can be anything you want: A 15 minute walk outside, doing 15 minutes of workouts from our Bowflex YouTube channel, or a 15 minute bike ride with the kids. It doesn't even have to be a consecutive 15 minutes, either: You can do three 5-minute workouts throughout the day, like five minutes of stretching in the morning, a five minute walk at lunchtime and five minutes of core exercises at night in front of the TV. Your goal is to just get in 15 minutes by the end of the day.

If you make this commitment and are consistent, you will be amazed at the results that come from making such a seemingly small daily change. You will eat a little better, feel a little better and have a little more energy. And, over time, that "little" will slowly turn into a "lot."

We often forget that Thanksgiving is just that, a time when we are to reflect upon and appreciate all the things we should be thankful for. One of the most overlooked blessings? Our health. So commit to 15 minutes of exercise a day right now and get fit before you sit down to enjoy your Thanksgiving feast.

Need a little extra motivation? Join me every Wednesday for the Bowflex Breakfast Club, a one-hour live Q&A on our Facebook page, 11AM-12PM EST!