FUNctional Fitness For The Festive Season (place tongue in cheek and read on…)

With Christmas just around the corner, most of us are already knee-deep in empty Quality Street tubs and have loosened the belt to ensure that extra mince pie doesn’t feel too snug.

But Christmas isn’t a time to dwell on the ‘you are what you eat’ – well that’s what we at Rugged think anyway. So, with that in mind, we’ve come up with plenty of ways to keep you active over the festive season to ensure that the “just-another-one” doesn’t haunt you well into the New Year.

How to keep festively active this season:

Snow Ball Fights

Chicken wings are for turkeys (if you know what we mean), so roll up those sleeves, pack that snow into a ball and launch at siblings, neighbours and the in-laws. It’ll test your hand-eye coordination, accuracy and visual awareness.

Christmas Tree Decorating

If you’ve already taken the boxes down from the loft, that’s a workout in itself - so give yourself a pat on the back. And everyone knows that after a workout you really should stretch. Reach high and low to place baubles in the perfect spot - you’ll be testing your coordination and balance during this activity, plus it’s a great way to get in those blessed stretches.

Carol Singing

A workout for your lungs and legs. Grab the neighbours, a recorder and some hymn sheets - you’ll have walked 10 blocks before you know it. Crowd pleasers include “Once in Royal David’s City”, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” to round things off.

Cracker Pulling

A bit like rowing, but with a better prize at the end. Ensure a firm grip, engage the core and test your reactions to “pull”. Plus, if the joke is funny enough, you’ll be completing a short ab workout too.

Mulled Wine Stirring

Our equivalent of upper-body yoga. Get into a rhythm with the ladle and breathe in the aromas of orange and cinnamon. If the cauldron is big enough, you’ll need to put your back into it. Remember to cool down in the snow (or near the freezer) afterwards.

Building a Giant Snowman

Ever tried rolling and lifting packed lumps of snow? It’s practically the same as dead lifts. If building your snow friends doesn’t work up a sweat, your snowman isn’t big enough! Aim for a diameter of 1 meter and separate snowballs for base and torso if you want to look like a real pro.

Turkey Carving

A real test of (speed), accuracy and coordination. Hungry guests can’t start without the centrepiece on their plate. Take aim, focus on the thickness and carve in a uniform fashion to please all at the table. Swap hands half-way if you want to maintain equally sized forearms.

Christmas Shopping

No explanation needed. This is simply a combination of strength, endurance and coordination. The heavier the items and the longer the trip, the better. You’ll have surpassed the 10,000 steps mark before lunchtime!

Still need convincing?

It takes approximately 14 hours to walk off your Christmas Dinner at an average walking speed of 3mph. So, with that in mind, we think some of the activities above look far more appealing!

Send us your snaps this season to show us how you keep festively active. Just remember – fitness is far too important to be boring.

by Lucy Manley