How To Rock A Hot Valentine's Day Without Blowing Your New Year's Resolution
This article is sponsored by Planet Fitness.
Valentine's Day is one of the first times that your New Year's resolutions will truly be tested. There's chocolates and wine and romantic dinners full of rich food — will you be able to resist? It's possible to stay on track with your fitness goals and still have a great celebration with your sweetheart.
If your resolution is all about getting more exercise, see if there's a way you can incorporate some fun activities into your Valentine's weekend. Could you go for a romantic walk together through the neighborhood park? Maybe take an acro yoga class together and practice being each other's support systems. If you're going for a nice evening out at the theater, you could get some leg work in by taking the stairs to your seats instead of waiting for the elevators.
It's also much easier to make sure you're staying on track to meet any fitness goals if you have someone with you to encourage you, motivate you and keep you accountable. Will your sweetheart be able to do that for you? If so, you don't have to wait until Valentine's Day — start right now! Help each other out by scheduling workouts together and trying different moves and styles of exercise that you couldn't do without a partner. The motivation of seeing each other get more fit will push you to work harder than you may have if it was just you on the treadmill. Try some of these great buddy exercises from Fitness Magazine for some ideas on where to get started.
Want to avoid breaking your resolution to eat healthier? You can still enjoy the delicious treats that go with the holiday without totally killing your waistline. Look for ways to include sweets in small amounts. You can also reduce your caloric intake by looking at your portion sizes and making sure that you don't overeat. Want to make your romantic dinner even more romantic? Try splitting your meal with your honey. If dessert is your weakness, look for lighter options that still deliver on flavor. Instead of the giant box of chocolates, go for a couple of delicious chocolate covered strawberries.
You can also take control of the menu for your romantic dinner by cooking for yourselves. When you cook at home, you're much more likely to have lower amounts of salt and butter than if you head out to your favorite restaurant. You also get to have the experience of spending some time in the kitchen together! If you're not the best cooks in the world, you can find tutorials for romantic dinners online, or you can go straight to an easier route and sign up for a box from a service like Blue Apron, who will deliver exactly the right amount of fresh ingredients needed for your homemade gourmet. After all, Valentine's Day is really about spending time with your loved one, and what better way to do that than cooking a delicious and romantic meal together? Plus, you'll be saving the money usually spent on all the frills of a more extravagant celebration. Keep it simple and healthy at home and you'll have a great evening together — and maybe even still some room for that glass of wine.
This article was written by Gillian Kruse of Examiner.com of CBS Local.
