Photo courtesy of Fitness & Finance Radio
Fitness & Finance Radio offers tips to help people protect their waistline and wallet as we head into the holiday season.
Holiday spending and disrupted health routines can begin well before Thanksgiving. Planning now can help people enjoy the season while supporting their health and avoiding financial stress in January.
“Now is the time to make some good decisions and set some goals about the holiday season,” said Jeff Smith, co-founder of Fitness & Finance Radio, financial planning expert, personal trainer, master-level Pilates instructor and founder of The Retirement Smith. “When we are intentional about it we are going to come out far better off than just winging it and doing whatever feels good at the moment.”
The holiday season is notorious for two issues each year. One, that people overspend on gifts and such and end up in credit card debt in January when the bills roll in. Secondly, that they gain weight due to the myriad of food and drink options that will be around, in addition to possibly putting their exercise routines on the backburner. Both of these things can lead to people starting the New Year with extra weight, more debt, and the stress of trying to get back on track.
The problem with gaining weight over the holiday season isn’t that it’s a lot gained. The issue is that it becomes cumulative, which takes a toll on one’s health over time. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that participants gained an average of less than one pound during the holiday period. That gain was not reversed, on average, by the following fall, suggesting that small seasonal gains may contribute to gradual weight gain over time.
Despite consumers feeling that things are too expensive, experts don’t see them pulling back much on their holiday spending this year. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the largest accounting firms in the world, holiday spending looks resilient. They report that although there are historic lows in consumer confidence, projected spending this holiday season is expected to only dip 2%, but they don’t see cuts being made in holiday gift spending.
Here are some tips from Fitness & Finance Podcast to help avoid the holiday creep starting now:
- Keep moving. The holiday season may get busier with more obligations, but we cannot stop exercising and being physically active as a result. Keep up your exercise routine and stay physically active. Schedule realistic opportunities for movement throughout the week. Shorter workouts, walks, and modified routines can help you maintain consistency when schedules get busy.
- Enjoy food intentionally. Keep regular meals rather than skipping them to save up for a party. Include satisfying foods with protein and fiber, enjoy the seasonal favorites you love, and pay attention to hunger and fullness. One meal or celebration does not require compensation or abandoning your routine.
- Make a budget. Buying a lot of gifts, travel, entertaining, decorations and other seasonal expenses during the holiday may feel good in the moment, but it won’t when you are sitting there in debt, or it’s keeping you from making solid financial decisions for the future. Determine how much you can truly afford and stick to that, to avoid regrets later on. Holiday spending should not come at the expense of emergency savings, retirement contributions, or purchasing essentials. Don’t borrow from your future.
- Maintain routine. The holiday season is notorious for getting people out of their routine, which can make things worse. Try to stick to your normal routine as much as possible. This will help keep you on track with your financial and physical health goals. Get outside support if you need it, so you stay motivated.
- Know when to rest. We have to learn to be honest with ourselves and know when enough is enough, and to simply rest. When we do too much, whether it be attending holiday events or doing a lot of shopping, it exhausts us. When we are exhausted, we are not going to be as efficient at making wise decisions. Those compromised decisions, due to exhaustion, can lead to regrets later. Feel comfortable saying no, pulling back, and just resting.
- Be mindful. Remind yourself daily that small choices can have a significant impact over time. By keeping your financial and fitness goals in mind throughout the holiday season, you will be in a much better place come January, and you won’t have to then focus on getting back on track. Planning is easier than repairing.
“You don’t have to choose between enjoying the holidays and taking care of yourself. Set realistic boundaries now around spending, movement, meals, and rest. The goal is to enter January feeling supported by your habits and comfortable with your spending,” said Jennifer Scherer, co-founder of the Fitness & Finance Radio podcast, registered dietitian, medical exercise specialist, certified personal trainer, master-level Pilates instructor and founder of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio.
Smith and Scherer are a married couple who co-founded the Fitness & Finance Radio podcast, where they come together to share their fields of expertise. The information focuses on offering a mix of nutrition, healthy lifestyle, and financial retirement planning strategies. Listeners can tune in to hear the duo discuss the issues and gain advice and insight that may help them now and in their retirement years. The Fitness & Finance Radio podcast is available for free on YouTube. Recent episode topics cover credibility, stress, funding adult children, saving money and losing weight on vacation, obesity and preventative care, and more. To get more information and listen, visit the site at: https://www.youtube.com/@
About Fitness & Finance Radio
Fitness & Finance Radio is a podcast produced by the married couple Jeff Smith and Jennifer Scherer. Smith is a financial planning expert and founder of The Retirement Smith, located in Fredericksburg, Va. Scherer is a registered dietitian, fitness expert, and founder of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. To get more information and listen to the podcast, visit the site at: https://www.youtube.com/@
Sources:
New England Journal of Medicine. A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain. March 2000. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.
PricewaterhouseCoopers. Holida
