Here’s some information to help you plan a healthy holiday season.
The Calorie Control Council says we can easily consume 4,500 at a big-day meal.
Yikes!
But if you’re trying to measure the pleasure against your hard-won exercise gains, here’s a handy guide to learn how much yumminess you’ve earned — or how hard you’ll have to work after the big meal. (Estimates are based on media sources*, USDA figures, and exercise for an adult weighing 160 to 180 pounds.)
A la carte
- 5 ounces of turkey: Run 1.5 miles
- ½ cup stuffing: 20 minutes biking
- A cup of mashed potatoes: Run 2 ½ miles
- A slice of apple pie: 34 minutes biking
- A helping of cranberry sauce: 13 minutes of weight training
- A serving of green-bean casserole: 10 minutes of rowing
By the plate
4 ounces of skinless white turkey, plus a combined cup of stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy tallies up almost 600 calories. Estimated effort to burn that off: 70 minutes of ice skating.
Don’t forget that pumpkin pie and whipped cream add on another 325 calories – which will get you 40 minutes of aerobics.
Of course, everybody is different. We all have different priorities when celebrating with family and friends. And it’s up to you how much of this is worth how much of that.
But regardless, please be sure to move your body regularly before the holiday – and to get some exercise on the big day, too. Take a walk, rake the leaves, play with the kids, or do a full-blown workout if you like.
Be grateful. And be active!
* USA Today, Time, Runner’s World
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.