But if you want to avoid the seemingly inevitable holiday weight gain, strap on your sneakers and hit the gym, or maybe your living room with a workout DVD in-hand. Here are a few tips for a slow, but beneficial post-Thanksgiving workout:

Prepare Yourself
A meal of such gigantic proportions is bound to have side effects, and one includes energy depletion – the after Thanksgiving sluggishness is in full force.

The secret to begin your post-Thanksgiving workout is to ease into it. No one wants to jump out of bed and hit the treadmill running, which is why walking is a great, low-impact exercise. You may have a treadmill desk, so you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your living room. But if not, bundle up and take a quick walk around the block.

Choose Low Impact
Other than walking, there are other low impact after Thanksgiving exercises you can perform that won’t over stress or strain your body. Head to a yoga class or pop in a yoga DVD to assist digestion. Twisting and maneuvering the body compresses your organs, like the stomach and intestines, to help reenergize the body and digest those four dinner rolls you ate yesterday.

Since your energy is low, allow your body to catch up, by starting at a slow pace and working your way up to a peak workout. You won’t be able to burn off the large amount of calories you consumed yesterday. Don’t try to prolong your workout or dramatically increase the intensity — that will only end in tears and a stomach ache. And always stay hydrated during your post-Thanksgiving workout.

Eat a Healthy Meal
It’s always best to avoid crash diets or skipping meals altogether, so to counteract the indulgent meal you consumed, choose healthy foods today. A solid, post-Thanksgiving breakfast of oatmeal gives you plenty of fiber, and it’s nice on a cold day. You’re probably going to be dehydrated too, so drink up!

Try to eat small snacks throughout your post-Thanksgiving hangover, versus three set meals with larger portions. This allows you better portion control and keeps your metabolism up.

If you want to avoid the post-Thanksgiving blues next year, try to go into the holiday with a prepared mindset. Set boundaries and focus on portion control, so the next day won’t be so difficult. Don’t make the day entirely about eating and drinking, it’s about spending time with friends and family, and taking a moment to recognize what you have to be thankful for.

The post Post-Thanksgiving: Let the Workout Begin appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

An intense workout may be doing more harm to your health than good.

Attention athletes, gym rats, crossfitters, tabata-lovers, and exercise addicts in general! I have something to say to you, and you’re not going to like it:

Slow down.

I know, these words are akin to blasphemy to the serious trainers out there—myself included. But I realized recently that I have been pushing myself so hard for so many years, that at 26 my body is already starting to protest! So I decided to tone it down a bit and sprinkle in some more moderate exercises into my regimen.

Experts agree that moderate exercise is important to your overall health. Here’s why:

• You’ll live longer. What could be more important than this? According to a recent study by the Cooper Institute in Dallas, joggers who moved at a moderate intensity (10-11 minute miles) had a lower risk of mortality than those who ran more than 20 miles a week at a faster pace.

• You’ll reduce your risk of injury. When you work out too hard, you deplete your body’s energy, and you become more likely to injure yourself. Studies show that if you work out intensely for 5 or more days per week, you can increase your chance of injury. So unless you’re training for something for a short period of time—take it easy.

• The Tough Stuff Will be easier. When you train regularly at a lower intensity, your body will be healthier and have more energy for when you do participate in the tough, intense work outs.

• You’ll Enjoy Working Out More. I know, sounds like a paradox to some people, right? But yes, working out can be fun. And if you’re hating your workouts, maybe it is because you are pushing yourself beyond a natural level. So mix it up with some moderate exercise as well (walking, yoga, light jogging, etc.).

• You’ll sleep better. This didn’t make sense to me at first either—my thought is that the harder the workout, the better I’ll sleep. Turns out, if you’re not sleeping well, it could be because of a tough workout later in the day. When you push yourself hard, your adrenaline runs high. If you’re working out after work or a few hours before sleep, you might still be on your post-workout high when your head hits the pillow. A moderate workout won’t make your adrenaline rush—something to keep in mind for all of you late-night exercisers.

These are just a handful of reasons why moderate exercise is a GOOD thing. But how can we squeeze moderate exercise into our already busy weeks?

One thing people are doing more and more is using their work hours to get some exercise in. Go for a walk in between tasks, walk down the hall to talk to a co-worker, rather than send an e-mail, park further away from the building, take the stairs, or better yet, start using a treadmill desk.

The Xdesk Fit is the desk for those healthy-minded office workers, and a perfect way to mix some moderate exercise into your routine.

Do you have an intense workout regimen? Share your thoughts below about “slowing it down” a bit with some moderate exercise!

The post Attention Athletes: Slow Down! appeared first on Xdesk Blog.