​How to get in exercise and maintain your nutrition during the festive season

The festive season can be a challenging time to get in exercise and maintain your diet. You can easily go overboard at Christmas with the amount of parties, dinners and family events taking place. With that in mind, here's a few ways to limit the impact this festive season and feel good about yourself as a result.
 
1. Give yourself permission 
You CAN eat or drink what you want, but be mindful of overdoing it, especially the alcohol. You can still enjoy yourself and have one or two of your favourite drinks or treats! Combine this with regular outdoor walks and you'll feel much more balanced over the hectic festive period. 
 
2. Don't people please 
This is an important one. Simply put, just do you. If you don't want to drink then don't drink. Stick to your plan and remember that everybody else may not be training regularly or they may not have the same mindset that you may have, and that's ok. At the end of the day, it's best to please yourself than try to meet others expectations of what it is to enjoy Christmas. 
 
3. Get your steps in
This is another key element of navigating the festive season. Go for morning walks, especially around Christmas and New Year's. It will give you peace of mind and confidence in knowing that you've done something positive for yourself!
 
4. Forget the guilt 
In reality, what you eat around the festive season matters a lot less than what you eat or drink the rest of the year. Give yourself a break if things don't go to plan and don't be hard on yourself! There's always the new year to start fresh and get back on track.