As this Easter weekend rolls around again, many of us are in varying mindsets. Some of us are so desperate for the holiday all we can think about doing is relaxing and enjoying some good food and drink, with no more thought about the exercise routine which we have accustomed ourselves to throughout the start of the year. Some of us are really motivated to stay away from the heavy calories in the “Easter bun” and to keep the waistline trim for the upcoming Carnival weekend… when the scant costume will leave no sin hidden.

The Joy Is In The Journey

Whatever your mindset, heavy or light, the time to live is now. We are each passing through life for but a brief moment, and the joy is really in the journey. If you enjoy your exercise routine and choose to honour it during the Easter break, then go ahead! If you choose to enjoy the food and the drink, do it!

I firmly believe that there have to be cyclical phases for good and bad living, otherwise, none of it can be appreciated. Just as the full moon phase changes this weekend, we also move in and out of our physical phases. The pounds go on, and they come off again when the phase is complete. Usually, the challenge is to close the bad phase and get back into the good one. The trick is to be tuned in to the end of the phase, and listen to your body’s need to go back to that of the healthier, leaner phase when the glut is over. If you have been unsuccessful at closing one phase to return to the other in the past, then the proper structure needs to be put in place to shake yourself out of it, such as a fixed date to return to the gym or a one-day fast after the weekend.

Working Off Those Easter “Buns”

A few days of high-calorie intake can be repaired, but you must act quickly. The longer you cave in, the deeper it gets and the more dirt you will have to dig through to find your way back out into the light! A good tip for next week’s workout is to maximise your cardio, even though you may feel fatigued from the lazy days of the weekend. Sweat and burn as much as you can and stick to lighter weights, higher repetitions, keeping your workouts aerobic. Post-Easter week you should focus on re-energising, re-sensitising your body, listening to it, becoming connected to it again, nurturing it and cleansing it. Drinking lots of water will also help to bring you back into “aliveness” and a regular routine.

Keeping A Clear Conscience Can Help You Escape A Total Breakdown

If you are one of these ‘all or nothing’ people who either go head first into the chocolate cake or not at all, then you will need some mind power to keep you in a somewhat controlled state. Remember, simple everyday activities are fat-burning opportunities, so don’t fall into the abyss if you get close to the edge. Walking briskly burns 149 calories in 30 minutes. Airports are great places to get mini workouts: you won’t even realise how many calories you’ve burned! Say goodbye to escalators, climbing stairs takes 306 calories (if it takes you 30 minutes to go up!) A fantastic idea for a workout in a hotel is to do the stairs! If you want to get a high-intensity workout right where you are, take the stairs. Start by lightly jogging up one at a time for the first round, (roughly ten minutes, depending on the number of floors in the building). Then two at a time, then walking and lunging up three steps at a time for the final countdown.

If you are staying home for the holidays, you are sitting in a world of calorie-burning opportunity, here’s how: Do yourself a favour and start cleaning out those old cupboards, cleaning the house works off energy, 216 calories for every 30 minutes. Mopping burns 153 calories, ironing and washing the dishes burn 77 calories each, gardening takes up 162 calories as does mowing the lawn. You can be breaking a sweat and getting some spring cleaning done too. If you can do this for 30 minutes at a time, you are steps ahead of your calorie management for the weekend. For Type As like me, just knowing that you haven’t totally blown it will keep you together and in one piece over the Easter.

Keep Your Eyes On The Ball

If you’re reading this, you are probably either looking for some motivating line to hold onto to keep you above the water this weekend, or you’re looking for salvation. Hopefully it has provided a bit of both. If you are desperate to hold on to some semblance of control, my advice is to get a magazine or photo of someone who really motivates and inspires you, and keep focusing on it. We all have moments of weakness, and it is in times like these that we can pull strength from another. Be buoyant, be alive and enjoy your moments of bliss, because giving up is just not an option. Relax, enjoy, call it a phase and go with the flow of it, until it’s time to call your bluff.