How to Maintain Health During the Holidays: An Athlete’s Guide by Guest Post JVA December 21, 2021 | 3 minutes, 1 second read AlexandraKa via Shutterstock At this time every year, athletes add another important aspect to their lives that can impact their training and performance: celebrating the holidays. With more time dedicated to seeing friends and family, this can be a healthful and restorative period for athletes—a chance to mentally recharge. The holidays, however, bring several temptations that when left unchecked can lead to negative effects on training that outweigh the positive energy during this month. Let’s look into how people tend to overindulge and what strategies you can exercise to maintain fitness through the month. Respect your hard work and discipline during the rest of the year by following these tips! Indulge in moderation. One lavish meal won’t dig you into a hole but a season of calorie-dense meals will, so try to exercise greater vigilance throughout the month. It is unlikely that the one to two pounds the average American gains during the holidays (and doesn’t lose, according to a The New England Journal of Medicine study) comes from a specific meal you had. The hidden calories are in all the little treats throughout the season. Included in that category are peppermint mochas, the candy bowl that sits on the table for the month of December, the endless supply of holiday cookies, and many more parties that involve festive drinks. table { border: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; } table tr { background-color: #ffffff; border: 0px; } table th, table td { border: 0px; } @media screen and (max-width: 600px) { table { border: 0px; } table thead { border: none; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; position: absolute; width: 0px; } table tr { display: block; } table td { display: block; } table td::before { /* * aria-label has no advantage, it won't be read inside a table content: attr(aria-label); */ content: attr(data-label); float: left; } table td:last-child { } } About JVA The JVA Vision is to be the premier organization to serve all the needs of the Junior Volleyball Community. JVA is the ONLY national association that is 100% focused on junior volleyball and the needs of junior clubs. JVA is the leader in Junior Volleyball Programs and is a voice for junior clubs – your programs and your needs. JVA's number one goal is to help your club programs and events thrive. JVA unites club directors, coaches and educators to improve the junior volleyball experience. More Healthy at Home Articles 4 Simple But Effective Gymnastics Drills You Can Do At Home Watch the videos below and learn how to perfect each of these drills! How to Eat for Immune Support During COVID-19 Registered dietitian and specialist in sports dietetics shares her best tips for boosting immunity in the kitchen. Games to Play at Home With No Equipment Kids need play to stay active and engaged with one another, and to support families and teachers. My Senior’s Lost Spring: A Childhood of Sports Ends in Silent Sadness I won't miss sitting in the bleachers for rainy, cold games, but I wish I could watch him play just one more time. Healthy Kids: Benefits of Physical Activity During Distance Learning When it comes to being active, the key is finding activities you and your kids enjoy doing together. There are a lot of free apps and online resources that can offer ideas. Kids Stuck At Home? Here’s How To Keep Them Busy And Grow Their Brains At The Same Time How to Practice Taekwondo at Home – A Beginner’s Guide If you're new to martial arts, here are some ways to prepare your home for Taekwondo training. Dryland Workouts For Swimmers The purpose of dryland training is to stretch and strengthen the muscles used in swimming Using the Sports Shutdown to Recover the Joy of Sports The shutdown is discouraging BUT we can use it to rekindle our original love of sports How Teams Can Meaningfully and Safely Give Back During COVID-19, athletes can still give back to their communities in meaningful ways while practicing social distancing and other safety precautions. 7 Ways to Exercise at Home With a Toddler or Preschooler At home with a rambunctious toddler or preschooler? Here's how to exercise in a way that gets your heart pumping and helps run down their energy, too. 5 At Home Exercises For Any Hockey Player Training your body specifically to improve your hockey ability and hockey conditioning can be overwhelming for some View More Read the Rest of the Article at JVA sports in this article Volleyball tags in this article Athlete Healthy at Home JVA