The hustle and bustle of the season may make it harder for you to fit exercise into your schedule. But even if you don’t have time for your regular routine, squeezing in a few minutes is definitely better than blowing it off completely.

ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, Rita Beckford, M.D., helped me come up with some creative ideas for all of us. Here is a list of 5 to get you going:

• Walk in the mall before you shop for holiday gifts – this is Dr. Beckford’s absolute favorite. She recommends going before the mall opens so you don’t get distracted. Try to fit in 30 minutes before you start shopping.

• Include dancing at your holiday dinner parties. “Try cultural favorites or good old-fashioned line dancing,” suggests Beckford. “After dinner but before dessert, your guests will love you for it.”

• Exercise videos – take a break from the gift wrapping and get a little cardio in your day. You don’t have to leave the house, and it will feel good to move around after sitting still for so long.

• Do jumping jacks while the cookies bake instead of just sitting around waiting for them.

• Bundle up and walk around to enjoy the holiday lights with friends instead of taking the car.

Remember – a little exercise here and there adds up, so the pounds don’t have a chance to!

My favorite idea is to walk around the mall for 30 minutes before shopping – you?

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Ever since the first time we did kettlebell swings in my Boot Camp class this summer, I was hooked – it was something different and I really like the way you can use these weights for both strength training and cardio. Here’s a video that shows you how to do Kettlebell Swings. PreFit personal trainer, Chad Welday explains the technique… while I huff and puff my way through the workout.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyone else out there a kettlebell fan?

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Meet: Ali Vincent (Winner of The Biggest Loser, Season 5)

Age: 33

Occupation: Weight Loss Spokesperson

Location: Arizona

Pounds Lost: 112

Ali’s energy is contagious! She had me ready to hit the gym right after we talked. Don’t miss FFTV’s interview with Ali. Find out what she has to say about how those pounds kept piling on, how tough it was to shed 112 pounds on The Biggest Loser, and what it’s like keeping that weight off in the real world. Here’s your Weight Loss WooHoo! Ali – Just FatFighterTV’s fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

How long she has kept off the weight: 6 months

Weekly workouts:
“I try to workout a minimum of five days a week, but I will usually do something active on that 6th day like dancing or swimming or go on a hike, whatever. I try to do at least an hour of cardio and an hour of some type of strength training. I try to. But sometimes life happens.”

Diet Philosophy:
“If I can’t taste it, I’m not going to waste it. What I mean by that is – if the cheese is just one of many things in my sandwich, then I’m not going to have the cheese. I’m not going to waste those 70 calories.”

“I eat whatever I want – I just budget it. I account for it. I do eat really bad things, but when I eat that really bad thing, I know how many calories are in it and I make sure that I burn that in addition to my normal workout.”

Weakness:
“I am a sugar girl. I never was a big candy and ice cream person, but now I am.”

Ali’s Weight Loss Tips:
“Start. Just start. Do something different today than you did yesterday that is in regards to it – if you want to start in your diet realm, then start food journaling. I’m not even telling you to change your diet. But start writing it down and start figuring out how many calories it is so you can just acknowledge how many calories you’re eating. You’ve gotta know where you are. You’ve gotta know where Point A is before you get to Point B.”

Ali’s Weight Loss WooHoo!:
“It feels so good to be healthy. I’m just flat-out excited to be alive!”

Want to see who else got a Weight Loss WooHoo!? Check out the Wall of Fame!

If you know of someone who deserves this honor, just let me know – send me an email at sahar [at] fatfightertv [dot] com

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