The perfect post-Thanksgiving workout: 10 easy exercises for after dinner
The post-Thanksgiving food coma is real.
The average American consumes 3,000 calories during their holiday dinner, and that’s not including drinks, appetizers and desserts. Once all the tasty treats are added together, the calorie count is closer to 4,500, per the Calorie Control Council.
Thanksgiving foods are not only high in calories, they’re also high in fat content. The Calorie Control Council said, “The average person may consume enough fat at a holiday meal to equal three sticks of butter.”
The silver lining is that one mega-meal a year can’t ruin your health. But if you want to minimize the damage, here are 10 exercises to do after your feast.
1. Go for a walk
Walking regulates blood sugar and improves digestion, according to HCA Healthcare. If you experience bloating after Thanksgiving dinner, walking will help your body process the excess gas that builds up as your turkey breaks down.
Movement stimulates the stomach and intestines and helps the body digest more rapidly, Healthline reported. The article said, “Low to moderate physical activity after eating may have a protective effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.”
2. Play a game
Playing catch or a game of soccer with family and friends has similar benefits as going for a walk. Movement helps the body digest.
So, after you eat, go to a park and throw around a frisbee, break out SpikeBall, start a game of pickup football or do some “Just Dance.” Anything that gets you moving will help your body recover faster.
3. Do core-strengthening exercises
GI Alliance explains, “Strengthening the core muscles with bodyweight exercises such as pushups, planks, or other abdominal exercises will have a long-lasting positive effect on your digestive system.”
Try push-ups, sit-ups, planks, the Superman or anything else that works out your core muscles as you watch the NFL’s Thanksgiving games.
4. Go roller skating
Roller skating on Thanksgiving has been a tradition for years, and many rinks have special holiday hours later in the evening.
Not only is skating a great full-body workout, but it’s a great activity to do with loved ones of all ages.
5. Work out on the floor
If you really overdid it and feel like curling up in a ball on the floor, there are ways to turn being on the ground into exercise.
Mountain climbers, glute bridges, donkey kicks, plank leg-raises and reverse crunches are a few ways to get your floor workout started. There are also lots of YouTube videos that can guide you along your workout, including this faster paced guided workout and this more relaxed one.
6. Go ‘wogging’
If the jog and the walk had a child, it would be the wog. Thus, we have wogging. The Health Board explains “wogging” burns calories quicker and is better for the heart than walking, and it is also easier on the joints.
“Avoid keeping your arms tight or fists clenched. Instead, keep your arms loose at your lower waist level. Your head should be up with your eyes looking straight ahead,” they explained.
7. Go on a bike ride
Gastroenterology Health Care described biking as “one of the most effective ways to move digestion along in your body.”
Biking aids digestion by reducing water in stool and minimizing bloating. It also lowers the risk of constipation. However, Total Women’s Cycling warns that it’s best to wait at least three hours before going on a strenuous bike ride if you’ve eaten a fatty meal, which Thanksgiving dinner certainly is.
8. Yoga
The National Library of Health published a study that identified a correlation between consistent yoga and improved bowel function. It concluded, “A simplified yoga-based regimen is a safe and effective complementary clinical treatment modality for patients with inflammatory bowel disease during the clinical remission phase.”
Good yoga poses for digestion include Cat/Cow, Thread the Needle, Seated Spinal Twist, Supine Twist and Downward Dog.
9. Squats
Urban Fitness has explained how squats can improve digestion: Fluids travel more quickly through the body when exercising the legs, and oxygen and nutrients can reach organs more efficiently. “This includes improvements to small intestine efficiency,” the fitness website said.
For a variety of squats, here is a 10-minute instructor led squat workout on YouTube.
10. Tai Chi
Tai Chi is low impact, and it is regarded as a meditative practice. Health Central said, “Its emphasis on slow and controlled movements and deep breathing makes it a good choice for those looking to improve digestion, as well as anyone who may have a gastrointestinal condition such as inflammatory bowel disease.”
This video is not only a great introduction to Tai Chi, but will help you relax after the craziness of Thanksgiving.
