For some, the most strenuous activity during Thanksgiving and Christmas is not just the traveling – it’s the feasting.
A local diabetes educator said exercise after eating is best especially if one wants to keep from gaining excess weight.
“Take a holiday meal for instance, you need to know that you have choices,” said Sandy Ellington, Diabetes Educator for the Gateway District Health Department. “You can still make Uncle Joe’s favorite casserole and your nephew’s favorite cheesecake. It’s that time of year for it. You have to get up and exercise afterwards.”
Some families go out and play football or they go for a walk, Ellington said.
“You have to get into a habit of taking a brisk walk at least 150 minutes a week,” Ellington said. “It can be done 10 minutes at a time. Just as long as you get your 150 minutes of exercise in that week is what counts.”
Ellington said there are some simple exercises that can be done right in an individual’s living room.
“Take a fitness bar and lift it above your head so that your harms are spread evenly apart and then lower it to your waist and back up over your head,” she said. “Then take a couple cans of beans and use them like weights and do curls with them. Place a can in each hand with palms facing up and curl them like you were lifting actual weights. Do five repetitions of 10 curls. Then turn your palms over facing down with your elbows back, forearms and hands facing down with a can in each hand swing your arms backward. This helps to firm the extra fat that is on the arm. You can take a 10-minute break from a movie to do these exercises.”
Other exercises that are recommended are bike riding, dancing, house cleaning, playing doubles in tennis, and water aerobics. Some vigorous exercises include jogging, running, swimming laps, riding a bike fast or on hills, playing singles in tennis, basketball, gardening that involves digging and shoveling and Yoga.
People need to keep nutrition in mind when it comes to eating that holiday meal.
“Half of the plate should be vegetables instead of starches,” Ellington said. “When cooking, use chicken broth instead of oil or butter. Do your meal homemade that will help with making your meal more healthy.”
People’s intake of salt is above the recommended amount, she said. Cutting salt out of one’s diet does help with weight loss some because one can retain water if taking in too much salt, she said. Some people think that just because a can of pop says diet they assume it is healthy.
“Diet pop has just as much sugar, calories and sodium as regular pop does,” Ellington said. “It is not that healthy for you.”
It is customary to serve pop as a beverage during holiday meals. However, Ellington said that one should drink milk, juice or water with their meal rather than soda.
People need to be reminded that a small portion is key to weight loss and healthy eating, she said.
“An average person gains 7 to 10 pounds during the holidays,” Ellington added.
She encourages everyone to do the best they can to be healthy.
“Don’t be the average person,” Ellington said. “Be the exception.”
For more information, contact Ellington at 606-674-6396.
Local News
Be healthy during the holidays
- Local News
-
-
Goldy wins prosecutor’s race
Morehead attorney Ronnie Goldy Jr. will be the next commonwealth’s attorney in the 21st Judicial Circuit consisting of Rowan, Bath, Menifee and Montgomery counties.
He carried three of the four counties in Tuesday’s Democratic primary and garnered a total of 2,575 votes.
-
Fiscal Court to repair Hamilton Bridge
Updates on the progress of plans for the new animal shelter, Hamilton Road Bridge project and salt purchase agreement were provided Tuesday at the meeting of Rowan County Fiscal Court.
-
Boyhood awe becomes life’s work in butterflies
Richard Hesterberg said he was intrigued by butterflies from his youth, admiring and catching the fluttering creatures. They became his passionate pursuit on the day he saw a photograph in a magazine.
-
DUI suspect flees two accident scenes
Michael Butler, 34, of Morehead, was arrested late Friday after he hit a vehicle, drove away and several minutes later crashed over a guardrail.
-
Voting places get upgrades
Rowan Judge-Executive Jim Nickell said efforts to make precincts at fire stations more accessible to elderly and handicapped voters are nearing completion, just in time for today’s primary election.
-
Uninsured motorists risk cancellation of registration
As mandated by the state legislature, uninsured motorists across Kentucky will begin receiving notices in June that registrations for their personal vehicles will be canceled if they do not obtain required insurance or show proof of existing insurance.
- KSP search for robbery suspects
-
Former MSU student dies after collapsing
Former Morehead State University student and Aramark employee, Justin Story, 28, passed away at UK Medical Center early this morning.
-
Sparse ballot for Tuesday’s primary
Rowan County’s 13,017 voters won’t have many choices to make when they go to the polls in next Tuesday’s primary election. Republicans will see only the presidential primary which has become a formality with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney now the presumptive GOP nominee. Also on that ballot are Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul.
-
Parking issues top Council agenda
Administrative matters took up much of the agenda at Monday’s regular meeting of the Morehead City Council, but the perennial downtown parking issue arose again. Council discussed problems with persons being ticketed during downtown events such as Noon Tunes, and passed a motion directing Mayor David Perkins to identify means to encourage citizens to patronize Main Street businesses over the summer, which may include relaxing downtown parking rules.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Goldy wins prosecutor’s race
