As you’ve probably gathered by all the posts containing icing, this blog says YES to holiday treats.
But I also love exercise and, like many of you, can’t help but consider the impact major indulgence may have on the fit of my non-elasticized waistbands.
To take some of the mystery away, Brent Bishop, a personal trainer and owner of Toronto’sThink Fitness Studios, has come up with the “holiday exchange diet,” which I’d like to share with you. Above and below, Brent shows us how to counteract the numbers of the goodies on the left with a specific number of exercises.
To do a burpee:
- Standing with feet shoulder width apart, bend at knees, place hands on floor
- Extend both legs out behind you while letting your elbows bend simultaneously
- Jump feet towards hands and quickly jump up extending hands in the air
- Repeat sequence for reps (without pausing in between reps)
To do high knee run intervals:
- Begin to run on the spot while keeping elbows at 90 degrees
- Drive knees up high repeatedly so that upper thigh is parallel to the ground
- Continue for 1 minute then take 30sec active rest (light jogging on the spot)
- Repeat interval sequence for reps
FYI, I don’t think Brent is suggesting you do these high knees immediately after quaffing the eggnog and shortbread. Hopefully you didn’t need me to clarify that. 
To do squat jumps:
- Squat feet shoulder width apart, posture tall and arms forward
- Quickly jump out of the squat so that feet come off the ground
- Softly absorb your landing back into squat position (absorb weight on mid-foot)
- Repeat this movement for reps (without pausing in between reps)
For more on Brent Bishop and to learn about his book, The Think Factor, visit his personal website.
courtesy of Brent Bishop and Reb Stevenson
