Move Well
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Fitting in fitness this festive season doesn't have to be difficult It's something of a running joke in Britain that Christmas and the run-up to the festive season tends to consist of lots of sitting around, watching TV, eating and falling out with relatives.

However, if you abandon your usual exercise regime altogether at the start of December, it's going to be much harder to start it back up again come January, when you don't fancy exercising at all.

The key is to factor in a little bit of physical activity often, keeping it up even when you have cards to write and presents to buy. You may need to make an appointment with yourself in order to schedule this exercise in or you could end up putting it off. Team up with a friend if you want to ensure you stick to it, or set your alarm earlier in the mornings to accommodate it.

“Fitness is quickly lost after just two to three days of inactivity, but even exercise of just a moderate intensity will help to halt this decline, ” the University of Bedfordshire states.

Studies show that you can achieve good results if you exercise for shorter periods by increasing the intensity of your workouts, so do something strenuous such as running on a treadmill for only 20 minutes and you could reap the benefits without losing too much time.

If you just can't face the gym at this time of year, there are other things you can do to keep fit. Why not wrap up and take the family for a brisk winter walk a few times a week? Instead of feeling glum about the cold, keep your eyes open and see what wildlife you can spot as you go. Or, take meet up with friends and go ice-skating once a week.

Getting your heart rate up and your blood pumping will help to energise you and may also beat any festive stress you may be feeling.

Don't forget that you can also make the most of the extra time off work at this time of year to enjoy fitness games on consoles such as the Wii and Kinect with your family. Some of these are surprisingly difficult and will certainly work off any extra mince pies you may have eaten!

Try to incorporate some of these forms of exercise - and perhaps some charades and physical forfeit-based after dinner games and you won't feel as though you've barely moved all day.

Stay active this festive season and you could beat the January blues and avoid having to make any fitness-based new year's resolutions!