Wealden Times | WT214 | December 2019 | Guide to Christmas supplement inside

Banish the
Winter Blues
Christmas stress can be kept at bay with a
little self care, Sarah Maxwell explains
A
t this busy time of year
exercise and wellbeing will
usually be last on your
list of priorities, however... !
Christmas can be a stressful time
of year and exercise is actually one
of the best ways to combat it.
Studies have found that active people
experience significantly less anxiety and
emotional distress than active people.
Endless lists, shopping bags, keeping
everyone happy, excess alcohol, edible
treats and less sleep all adds up to
exhaustion, overload and stress.
The average British person gains
around 5lbs at Christmas. If you
manage to maintain a regular exercise
programme, or at least be active and take
care of yourself, you will have a much
less stressful holiday season and be ready
to hit the ground running in January.
I am a huge fan of quick workouts and
I have devised an exercise programme
that I call ‘on the go workouts’ – when
I’m flat out I do these to keep up my
energy levels and combat the difficulty
I have with short dark days. I find it
really helps my mood (especially as I
get rather uptight at this time of year).
In truth this is not just about keeping
Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning
Fitness and Lifestyle coach
and mum of two who juggles a lot
of balls. Find out more about Sarah
and her work at sarahmaxwell.com
Sarah shares her Fitness and
Lifestyle tips on Instagram
@sarahmaxwelllifestyle
fit and exercising it’s about giving
yourself some energy and calming your
mind. If I didn’t do some exercise at
some point in the day or do something
just for myself I wouldn’t be able to
juggle everything quite so well.
Take the pressure off yourself and do
the exercises in bite-size chunks so you
don’t have to go to the gym or class if
you’re running short on time (aren’t
we all). Try squats while waiting for
the kettle to boil, throw yourself into
a plank while you’re waiting for the
bath to fill, stretches while watching
your favourite TV programme and
if you’ve got young children put
on your favourite music and dance
with them (I’m sure they will love
Michael Buble’s Christmas album).
Every minute counts as we enter
into the festive season, as we do
more shopping online we don’t
walk around the shops as much
as we used to and that takes a toll
on our health and wellbeing.
This year, take time out to nurture
yourself, move more and spend some
quiet time alone. I can guarantee
you will have the merriest, fittest
and calmest Christmas yet!
“Take the pressure off yourself and
exercise in bite-size chunks”
Exercise of
the month:
THE WALL SIT
This is a great exercise for
thighs and bottom
(a prefect pre-ski exercise too)
✣
Stand with your back about
10in/2.5cm away from a wall
and place your feet hip
width apart.
Lean against the wall and
slide down until your thighs
are parallel to the floor.
Be careful not to push
your knees beyond your toes and
don’t allow your bottom to be
lower than your knees. Put the
weight on your heels and arms
crossed over your chest.
Try to hold for up to a
minute and repeat 3 times.
✣
Have a Merry Christmas x
115