Burn Off Holiday Calories!

25 Ideas, No Gym Time Required

Special thanks to Nicole Nichols, Personal Trainer

Ah, the holidays are officially here!And as much as we look forward to them, and all that comes with them (the friends, the family, and of course, the food!) it’s hard to escape the stress that they also bring.

"Exercise routine? Heh. Healthy eating? Forget about it." Sound like you?

Between the cooking, cleaning, traveling, decorating, shopping, and entertaining, how can you fit in your normal exercise routine? Or even a shorter exercise routine? 

Well, if you’re like most "normal" Americans, you’ve probably bitten off more than you can chew when it comes to responsibilities. So, here’s a list of common holiday activities and the number of calories they burn. Realistically, you can keep your caloric intake in check (by keeping portions small and making healthier recipe substitutions), and by adding up these common activities—like cooking and cleaning—you can still burn a hefty sum of calories without setting foot in the gym.

(Based on a 40-year-old 5’5", 140-pound woman. Men, and women weighing over 140 pounds will burn more calories during the same activities.)

• Bathing dog (to look and smell pretty for guests!): 15 minutes = 56 calories
• Wrapping gifts or making crafts (hello party favors): 30 minutes = 48
• Bagging grass & leaves: 30 minutes = 127 calories
• Light baking (of all your favorite treats): 1 hour = 159 calories
• Tending bar for guests (not drinking it yourself!): 1 hour = 146 calories
• Changing bed linens (for the out-of-towners): 15 minutes = 40 calories
• Loading & Unloading the car (suitcases, groceries, kids): 10 minutes = 32 calories
• Carrying groceries: 5 minutes = 13 calories
• Taking out Trash: 2 minutes = 5 calories
• Carrying wood or lumber (Marshmallows not included): 5 minutes = 26 calories
• General to Heavy house cleaning: 1 hour = 191 calories
• Clearing dishes from the table: 5 minutes = 13 calories
• Washing dishes by hand: 15 minutes = 37 calories
• Dusting: 15 minutes = 40 calories
• Family Reunion (includes sitting, talking and eating…not fighting): 1 hour = 95 calories
• Food preparation: 1 hour = 195 calories
• Flag Football (fun for the whole family): 1 hour = 508 calories
• Putting away groceries: 5 minutes = 13 calories
• Quick nature hike after dinner: 15 minutes = 95 calories
• Light jogging (to get away from scary relatives): 15 minutes = 127 calories
• Mowing lawn (pushing power mower): 20 minutes = 95 calories
• Mopping floors: 15 minutes = 56 calories
• Playing catch (baseball or football): 30 minutes = 79 calories
• Raking lawn: 30 minutes = 137 calories
• Grocery shopping (with cart): 30 minutes = 73 calories
• Grocery shopping (with basket): 30 minutes = 79 calories
• Socializing while standing: 1 hour = 127 calories

So, if you’re finding it impossible to get to the gym, try something new this year…like NOT avoiding the extra holiday chores. Your partner and/or host will be happy, and so will you for keeping your waistline in check.

Best Gifts for the Athletically Inclined

Fitness-themed presents for guys who call the gym their second home.

Special Thanks to Esquire Magazine

Adidas Supernova Sleeveless Tee

There's more to this sleeveless tee than just good looks -- its sculpted arm openings highlight the work you've been doing, the flatlock seams won't chafe your skin, and the ventilated fabric will keep you dry. Let's see your old fraternity rush shirt do that. 

Everlast Leather Medicine Ball

Judging from the floor plan of the average fitness club, you'd think it would require thousands of dollars in machinery just to break a sweat. Wrong. These leather medicine balls are retro-chic, come in 12- and 15-pound versions, and can be used to perform dozens of exercises. Let's see the elliptical machine do that.

SIGG Waterbottle

The company behind this Swiss-engineered line of water bottles likes to tout how environmentally friendly its product is -- they're made from recyclable aluminum instead of those landfill-clogging disposable plastic bottles -- but it's the fact these bottles are lightweight, durable, and come in more than 144 different designs that will have other people at the gym asking you where you got that cool-looking water bottle.

Tanita KD-400 Digital Lithium Kitchen Scale

This is perfect gift for the guy who eats only egg whites and thinks caffeine is one of the seven deadly sins. The digital scale is accurate down to 1/8th of an ounce and folds up nicely, so the only thing that health-obsessed fitness freak has to worry about is the horrors of refined white sugar.

Dr. Cool & Dr. Hot Bags

Despite the fact these products come in dopey-looking fake IV bags and have equally ridiculous names, they work extremely well. The "Dr. Cool" ice pack works as expected -- just chill it in the freezer and wrap it around a body part -- but the "Dr. Hot" heating pack is something special. Just push a simple disc to activate a chemical reaction that gets hot and stays that way for more than a half hour. To reset and reuse, just place the bag into boiling water. Easy, peasy. 

Asics Gel-Fluent TR Sneakers

Give your feet a gift this holiday season. The Asics Gel-Fluent uses gel cushioning to ease impact on your feet when you run, while the AHAR heel plug (that little bit of heft you'll feel inside the heel) will keep the shoe from falling apart as you pound the pavement. 

No Mas T-shirts

Sometimes, you don't want your shirts to shout -- you want 'em to wink. This vintage sports-inspired line of T-shirts from No Mas eschews the look of those obnoxious officially licensed shirts for ones that force you to remember what year Michael Jordan was drafted. 

Juiceman Jr. JM 400

OK, so there are bigger juicers on the market, beastly wood-chippers that can mulch fruit into a fine mist but take up a good chunk of your valuable kitchen space to do it. The 700-watt Juiceman Jr. takes up just a square foot of counter space and can still juice hardy rinds and skins, where most of the nutrients are found. 

The Perfect Pushup

These pushup handles facilitate smooth arm rotation so you won't wuss out because your hands hurt, and actually engage more muscles than the average pushup so you get more rip for your push. The most useful made-for-TV investment you'll ever make.

Nautica Harborside Towels

They're not officially "gym" towels, but so what? These are the right size for wiping your face between reps, plus they're made from bamboo, which fights bacteria and mildew so they won't stink up your gym bag.

Timex Ironman Wireless Fitness Tracker and Watch

Designed for the OCD fitness fanatic, this Timex watch works with a wireless fitness tracker to calculate your lap time, distance, pace, and calories burned. A "lifestyle device," it'll also get the less fitness-y inclined to take the stairs over the elevator. That's an entire ten more calories burned, after all. 

Freeman Transport Collapsible Fixed-Gear Bike

With their too-tiny tires and oddball dimensions, most fold-up bicycles look like they should be driven by seven-foot circus clowns. But Freeman Transport, a small outfit based in Missoula, Montana, has finally delivered a full-size, fixed-gear, collapsible bike that fits nicely into its custom waxed-cotton and leather carry bag. It's so compact -- just 26 inches -- you can even check it on an airplane without paying the oversize baggage fee. ($2,475,freemantransport.com)

Adidas Classic 7-Inch Shorts

In bright navy with its trademark three white stripes, the Adidas Classic 7-inch short can be found in the drawer of athletes around the world. And it should be found in yours, too. 

Lacoste Essential Cologne

The Energizer Bunny of cologne, Lacoste Essential uses time-release technology so its scent stays on all day and is reactivated when body heat rises -- like when you're running on the treadmill next to that girl you keep checking out in the mirror. 

Mi-Sport Underwater Headphones

These kill the middleman (the ubiquitous wire) by linking your earphones with your MP3 player on one secure place -- your ears. That's where they belong, and with the Mi-Sport Underwater Headphones -- water- and sweat-resistant with 1GB of space -- that's where they'll stay. 

Nike ACG Outdoor Workout Jacket

A quarter zip workout jacket for all-season outdoor wear, the Nike ACG features Nike's own patented Sphere Fit Dry technology so that your sweat doesn't stick. This encourages you to keep your jacket on even when you feel warm in the cold outdoors. 

North Face Lightweight Running Quarter Socks

Running with bad socks is like wearing jeans a size too big without a belt -- everything just keeps falling down. The North Face running quarter socks won't disappear below your shoe, which also prevents cuff chaffing while soaking up sweat. 

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Griffin/Studio D

Puma Cat Woven Track Suit

There's nothing wrong with wearing a track suit, but if you wear it with gold chains, handguns, or a beeper, you're going to look like a European drug dealer. This all-blue Puma combo is so handsome, such accoutrements are utterly unnecessary. 

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Griffin/Studio D

Finish Line Doormat

Congratulations: With the Finish Line doormat, you receive a visual high-five for surviving another sweat session at the gym -- or a reminder to drink your postworkout whey protein.

What Are the Different Types of Men's Activewear?

Men's active-wear comes in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and styles. Some of the clothing can be worn for more than one activity while others are typically worn for only certain activities. With all the options of men's activewear to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially for the male that doesn't shop frequently and isn't sure what to buy.

For men who practice yoga, there are several options that can allow for comfort through various positions. Men's activewear for yoga is typically more spacious than what women wear. The shorts will usually fall right above the knee and the pants are slightly baggy for easy movement; more often than not both are made with stretchy material. The T-shirts are the same as a regular shirt worn on a day to day basis.

Quite a few men may play golf and, for those who do, there is usually a dress code required wherever they play. Wearing a pair of golf pants along with a polo can be a good outfit choice. The polo is short sleeve and has a collar and the golf pants can come with several useful features. One feature the golf pants may have is a gripper waistband so the shirt can stay tucked in, or the pants could also be made of special fabric that keeps moisture away during those long, hot days on the course.

Sweatshirts and sweatpants are popular men's activewear that is durable and comfortable. Sweatshirts come in both hooded and non-hooded types. Sweatpants often have elastic along the bottom of the legs to keep them in place. Some may have pockets to hold small items. Sweats are also quite warm, so they are good for cold weather outdoor activities.

The most basic men's activewear can consist of a regular T-shirt in addition to shorts or track pants. Often they are made of cotton for comfort and can hold up to quite a bit of wear and tear. They are also relatively inexpensive and in some cases are sold in multi-packs.

When choosing activewear, it is important to pay attention to the fit and level of comfort of each piece. Before making a purchase, it is better to measure the body to get accurate measurements. Considering a size large in one clothing company may not be the same in another, knowing the measurements can help avoid any hassles. If buying the clothing online, check the sizing chart first. When buying in person, try the clothing on first.

Serving Sizes

With new dietary guidelines suggesting as many as 7 cups (or cup equivalents) of fruits and vegetables daily (based on age, activity level, sex and weight), it is understandable that the idea of getting the recommended amount can be daunting.

What many don't realize is how many cups they are already getting, and how many more they can fit into their daily routines quite easily. Remember that fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced fruits and vegetables all count towards your daily servings.

When all of these forms are combined with proper serving size, it is quite easy to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily.

Special Notes on Serving Sizes and Cup Equivalents

1 medium piece of fruit or vegetable (baseball sized) is about 1 cup (see links below for more)

1/2 cup dried fruit is equilvalent to 1 cup of fresh fruit

1 cup (8 oz.) 100% fruit or vegetable juice is equivalent to 1 cup of fruit or vegetables

2 cups of leafy greens are equivalent to 1 cup of vegetables

1/4 cup (1 oz.) nuts is one serving

Examples of Serving Sizes

EXAMPLES OF 1 CUP 1 small apple 1 large banana 1 medium grapefruit 1 large orange 1 medium pear 1 small wedge watermelon 2 large or 3 medium plums 8 large strawberries 1 large bell pepper 1 medium potato 2 large stalks of celery 1 cup cooked greens or 2 cups raw (spinach, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens) 12 baby carrots (or 2 medium carrots) 1 large sweet potato 1 large ear of corn EXAMPLES OF 1/2 CUP 1 snack container of applesauce (4oz) 16 grapes 1 medium cantaloupe wedge 1/2 medium grapefruit 4 large strawberries 5 broccoli florets 6 baby carrots 1 large plum 1 small box (1/4 cup) of raisins