10 ways to burn off Christmas

It’s fun while it lasts but if you plan to indulge as much as us you might want to know the easiest 10 ways to burn off Christmas.

Carrie Bradshaw can easily consume Cosmo after Cosmo with seemingly no effect on her enviable abdomen. Although delicious, the alarming truth is that they are loaded with calories: ‘A glass of mulled wine contains as many calories as three pieces of chocolate orange, which would take 17 minutes of swimming to burn off,’ says Sapan Sehgal, PT and co-owner of London Fields Fitness Studio. Cocktails, like canapés, slip down almost unnoticed, but between eight and ten mini bites can mean a main meal! We all deserve a little treat during the holidays though, don’t we? And may inevitably have a glass of mulled wine … or two… but by following our ten top tips you can limit some of the damage done.

1. Make a plan

It’s a good idea to schedule in some time for a workout so that you don’t completely lose sight of it. Jessica Wolny, personal trainer and strength coach recommends we plan a training session on the day before an evening buffet: ‘It will deplete your body’s glycogen stores so the carbs will go to your muscles – not your fat stores,’ she says. Sapan explains that it’s also a good idea to ‘sign up for a post-Christmas fitness event like a 10K run. That way we will make sure we look after ourselves’.