Avoiding the winter weight gain

• By Erica Pollock
  Special to The Record

  Posted Nov. 9, 2015 at 3:46 PM

  With busy schedules and those holiday parties right around the corner it is important to set time aside to stay active. With the winter weight gain looming, Tara Wetherelt, a certified personal trainer at In-Shape: Stockton West Lane gives some tips on how to prevent packing on the pounds during this time of year.

  The best way to stay motivated in your fitness is to set short, fun, yet achievable goals. Meeting these attainable goals keeps you inspired to continue. One way to keep you motivated is to commit yourself to a challenge. A great way to keep on track is to recruit others to do the challenge with you. “Challenge yourself to do the 30 for 30. This involves performing 30-minutes of active movement every day for 30 days,” said Wetherelt.

  Keeping yourself accountable to your workout and nutrition is important as well. Keeping a journal that tracks your active level and food intake keeps you conscious of what you’re taking in and how much you are working off. Track your fitness and nutrition with an app on your phone or you can write everything down. Weekly weigh-ins are great too.

  In preventing the winter weight gain, getting the advice of a personal trainer can help you get the most out of each and every workout. A personal trainer is able to make adjustments to each client’s workout that works for them and their goals. They are a built-in support system, motivator and acquire the knowledge and structure that’s best for seeing results.

  Creating a balanced workout plan is key to keeping on track for the holidays. A balanced workout incorporates several different types of exercises into your routine. “For example, combining strength training and cardio,” said Wetherelt. A great balanced workout, for a busy schedule is a circuit workout like In-Shape’s 29-Minute Circuit. Circuit training is simply a workout based around a set number of “stations” that you repeat until your time runs out. So knowing how much time you have can help you determine how many circuits you’ll need to complete and how hard you’ll need to work to get a good quick balanced workout.

  Utilize exercises that will help maximize your chances of seeing results. Focus on workouts that utilize strength training like box jumps, squats, burpees, kettle bell swings and push-ups. “When avoiding the winter weight gain also focus on weight training. The more muscle you build, the more calories you burn during and even after your workout,” said Wetherelt.

  Busy schedules and temptations make it hard to stay on track. Remember, if you put the work in beforehand you can treat yourself later on. When it comes to you nutrition, portion control is important (have one cookie, not the whole bag). Stock up on nutritional snacks to quite the temptations around you.

  When it comes to the winter weight gain, the holiday season temptations are there. “It’s important to remember that fitness and your nutrition are a year round lifestyle change. Put in a little extra work and you can indulge a little too. Keep your fitness and nutrition goals realistic especially during the holidays,” said Wetherelt.

  It’s important to keep your workout positive. Reward yourself when you accomplish a goal. With the help of a personal trainer you can stay on track and prevent that winter weight gain from packing on. “Not everyone needs a trainer, but everyone can benefit from one,” said Wetherelt.

  Keep your workout consistent. If you can, schedule it. If it’s on your calendar you will be more likely to follow through with it. Make fitness a priority.

  — Tara Wetherelt is a certified personal trainer at In-Shape: Stockton West Lane. For questions, contact Erica Pollock at erica.pollock@inshape.com or call (209) 472-2100. Visit http://www.inshape.com/health-clubs/in-shape-stockton-west-lane for more information.