JANUARY
Job promotion celebration: Go ahead and go out for martinis with
the crowd, but instead of drinking alcohol, order a fancy fruit
juice drink. (Try mango juice, topped with cranberry juice and a
splash of lime).
JANUARY: Job promotion celebration: Go ahead and go out for martinis with the crowd, but instead of drinking alcohol, order a fancy fruit juice drink. (Try mango juice, topped with cranberry juice and a splash of lime).
Try something new this month: A Pilates Reformer class. By now we’ve all heard of Pilates, the exercise system that focuses on strengthening your midsection, and many of us have tried mat Pilates. To shake up things a little, try a Pilates Reformer class, where you do traditional Pilates movements on apparatus.
FEBRUARY
Valentine’s Day: Instead of a romantic dinner for two followed by gorging yourself on a box of chocolates, treat yourself and your sweetie to his and hers massages. Before you go, spend time walking your dog so that your muscles are loose and ready to be relaxed.
Try something new this month: Running or walking Yassos, where you do four minutes on a treadmill at an intense pace (if you are a runner, try a little faster than your 5K pace), then four minutes at a recovery pace. They’re perfect for this time of year, when you may be working out on a treadmill a little more than you’d like. Work up to an hour’s worth.
MARCH
Birthday party: It’s your child’s or friend’s birthday party, and everyone is gathering for cake and ice cream. Try serving a sugar-free cake with sugar-free icing instead. Many bakeries have almost perfected the recipe. Or offer (or bring) a giant, gorgeous fruit salad, so guests have a choice.
Try something new this month: A Body Pump class. Essentially weight lifting set to music in a group setting, this is a great way to add weight-bearing exercises to your workout.
APRIL
Easter: Fill your kids’ Easter baskets with good-for-them foods instead of chocolate bunnies. Or just fill the baskets with toys and games instead of food.
Try something new this month: In-line skating around a park. If you’re brand new to this pastime, try to look for a park with mostly flat trails. If you’re more accomplished, try a hilly course.
MAY
Guys’ night out: First off, play a sport in which you actually sweat (such as basketball instead of softball, or racquetball instead of bowling). Then, when you go out for beers, have just a couple of light ones. Go for the peanuts on the table rather than the chips mix; the peanuts at least provide needed protein.
Try something new this month: A water fitness class. Nothing’s more fun than splashing around in the water with your friends, and you actually burn calories.
JUNE
Girls’ night out: Go to the gym together, take a fitness class or just walk together. Better yet, walk or run together to train for a charity race. Choose one that’s a reasonable length (like a 5K) and for a cause you care about.
Try something new this month: Hot yoga. Doing yoga in a room heated to sweltering adds a whole new level of toughness to the workout.
JULY
Holiday barbecue: Grill chicken and fish instead of fatty burgers and steaks. Serve them with nutritious salads and fruit rather than chips and brownies. Consider having a pool party, with prizes for swimming races; that will make all competitive types actually get in the water.
Try something new this month: Play like a kid again: Join an organized sports team and have a ball with your friends.
AUGUST
Food day at work: You know what we mean, where everyone brings a dish, and you feel obligated to try at least one bite of each and every one. Suggest to your co-workers that you try a low-fat food day or a low-carb food day, with everyone offering new and different recipes.
Try something new this month: A cool (air-conditioned!) dance class; try African dance, salsa or belly dancing.
SEPTEMBER
Wedding: You are there to celebrate and wish the happy couple well, not to gorge on free food and drinks. However, feel free to dine (just load up on the vegetables, not the cake) and have a glass of champagne, then spend the rest of the night burning calories on the dance floor.
Try something new this month: A boot camp class. Complete with drill sergeants, these classes really whip you into shape.
OCTOBER
Halloween: Help your kids have a healthier Halloween this year. Half the fun is seeing how much candy they can collect, so give them a penny or a nickel for every piece they collect that they don’t eat.
Try something new this month: Spend a few rounds in a boxing ring. Find an area gym or martial arts studio that will let you haul off and hit either a bag or a dummy or a real person in a ring. It’s a great stress reliever.
NOVEMBER
Thanksgiving: Learn ways to make your favorite dishes low-fat. Don’t fry that turkey – roast it. Don’t muck up a nutritionally valuable sweet potato with marshmallows and brown sugar. Learn to enjoy the taste of fresh green beans without cream of mushroom soup and fried onions. And if you’re doing the cooking, put a piece of gum in your mouth so you don’t do all the tasting.
Try something new this month: Rent a tandem bike (built for two) and head out on a trail for a leisurely afternoon with a friend or a honey.
DECEMBER
Holiday parties: When Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa roll around, the parties are plentiful. Here are some tips for dealing: You don’t have to go to every party because you feel obligated – pick the most fun or most important. Eat a bowl of soup before you go so you feel full. Get one drink and sip it through the night. Hit the fruit and veggie trays first. Spend time socializing, not eating. In fact, make it a point not to sit down.
Try something new this month: Skiing. Cross-country or downhill skiing will work muscles you may have never used.
