It happens to everyone – a birthday celebration, holiday feast, Sunday fun day - opportunities to indulge in extra food and drink are around every corner. Even if we have an iron will, chances are that you’ll indulge at one time or another. But there’s a way to minimize the damage that indulgences do to your body!
Tip #14: do 10 squats before indulging
Before you sit down to that big meal or happy hour – do 10 squats (bonus points if they are jump squats!) Squats activate the big muscles in your legs – your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Your leg muscles are the largest muscle group in your body, so by ‘turning on’ those big muscles, you are also priming those muscles to use extra calories and sugar more efficiently. This translates to less calories and sugar being stored as fat, and stressing out your body trying to process it.
An easy way to incorporate this tip into your life, is to excuse yourself to the restroom before a big meal. Simply squat it out in privacy and then take comfort in knowing that you’ve minimized the negative impact that your indulgence will have on your body.
So go ahead and give this a try! Set a reminder in your calendar to go off 10 minutes before a big meal or indulgent event, and then give the squats a try. If you are planning to indulge all day (like a Sunday fun day), then just remember to do 10 squats every time you use the restroom. These will keep those big muscles active and help use up some of those extra calories!
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