Exercises to help you keep off the holiday weight gain

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The holidays are a time when we get together with friends and family. During these gatherings, food is often the focal point. Unfortunately, all of this delicious food can lead to weight gain. Below are some exercises to help you fight weight gain this holiday season. Walking If you suffer from arthritis or joint pain, walking is one of the best exercises you can do to fight weight gain. Walking is low impact, meaning it won't place unnecessary stress on your joints. It is a great form of cardiovascular exercise and is great for people of all ages. If you need a challenge, speed walk or walk up steep hills to boost metabolism even more. Strength Training Strength training with weights is one of the best ways to add lean muscle tissue, which is key in keeping weight within healthy limits. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns even while at rest. This means you are burning calories long after you leave the gym. Some great examples of strength training exercises are lifting weights, using kettlebells or working out with resistance bands. High Intensity Interval Training Or HIIT One of the best ways to maximize your cardio session is by utilizing the HIIT technique. This stands for high intensity interval training and it is a great way to burn more calories and blast fat during cardiovascular exercise. It also cuts down on the amount of time you need to workout, because it is much more intense than traditional cardiovascular exercise. The following is an example of a HIIT workout for beginners: 20 seconds of work, followed by 40 seconds of recovery for 10 minutes total. This means you would sprint for 20 seconds and walk for 40 seconds, continuing to alternate for the entire 10 minute workout. These exercises will help you fight the holiday bulge but you can also maximize your efforts with a few other tricks. When eating at gatherings, eat more protein than fats or carbohydrates. This will keep you full for longer periods because protein is more filling than any other food. Drinking a glass of water between alcoholic beverages will help you avoid drinking too many empty calories which will cause you waistline to grow. Just making these few adjustments can help you avoid making that New Year's resolution to lose weight.