Get a Headstart on Your New Year's Resolution

I'm afraid my tip for you for the holidays is going to be un-sexy, even unappealing. But it has to be said. So I'm telling you to start exercising now, even just a 30 minute walk 3 times a week. Did you know that the two most common New Year's resolutions are to stop smoking and to lose weight? So why not get a jump start on it, one month earlier?

I know, I know—it's the holidays, a time when you look forward to that ham or fruit salad at Noche Buena, or all those cookies and cakes that are given to you as presents. I'm not telling you to forego those holiday treats. I'm just telling you to take an hour or two from your entire WEEK just to walk. It'll make the transition to exercising in January even easier. But keep in mind, exercising in December does not give you license to eat even more this Christmas!

So, why should you start your walking habit in December? 

• Take advantage of the cool December air. I've taken up the running habit again, now that my injured ankle is convalescing nicely. I change right into my workout clothes when I get home from the office, and I do a little 30-minute run before dinner. I typically don't enjoy running, but I do so this time of the year because I get to enjoy the cool air. It's even better early in the morning; I would sometimes wake up at 4:30 a.m to be able to run before I leave for work.
   
• Shopping! Come to think about it, it'll be easier for you to incorporate walking during the Christmas shopping rush when you walk around the mall. Buy a pedometer for yourself and aim for at least 5,000 steps each day.
   
• Travel! Some of you might even have plans for a getaway during the Christmas break. Do a lot of sightseeing by foot...you'll rack up those steps before you even know it!

By the time January rolls around, you won't be resisting any efforts to fulfill your New Year's resolution!