Why a Christmas pretox beats a detox

Are you a post-Christmas detoxer? Or are you in with the in crowd and giving healthy pretoxing a go? You’ve still got time to start – and you could be feeling the benefits well before you take your first bite of turkey…

The Christmas pretox isn’t something you hear about much, but new research commissioned by Currys PC World has found it to be a growing regime adopted in the run-up to Christmas. And – here’s a surprise – it’s not just the ladies who’re looking to fit into sparkly LBDs: nearly a quarter of UK men are embracing a healthy regime in preparation for the festivities.

The survey found that 22% of men are pretoxing, and looking good at the office Christmas party is one of their main motivators. But – perhaps not a surprise – only 15% are good enough to maintain their diet and fitness regime through the winter. Around 47% of those men surveyed began their pretox in the final week in November. Currys saw sales of health-boosting gadgets such as juicers and step counters begin to spike during that month.

But it’s the post-Christmas regime where the figures fall short, with 93% of the men surveyed expecting a weight gain of around 8lb. Fitness and nutrition expert Lucy Wyndham-Read offers her tips on staying on track in the run-up to the holidays:

1. Speed it up. Walking a little faster is a great way to burn off extra calories. Aim to walk at a speed of 4 miles per hour, as this helps you burn fat. Use a wearable fitness product to measure, or count how many steps you take in 20 seconds at a speed of 4 mph then multiply by 3 – it should be 135 steps per minute. 
2. Stand up. In the office, set a timer on your watch or phone for every 20 minutes. When it goes off, stand up and move if even for a few seconds. After 20 minutes of sitting, the body starts to slow down the amount of calories you burn, so move every 20 minutes to keep it fully active. 
3. Swap biscuits for a smoothie. Save calories and get your vitamins at the same time. 
4. Calorie challenge. Every day, challenge yourself to burn off an extra 100 calories over the build-up to Christmas. 
5. Skip. Skipping for 10 minutes can burn up to 135 calories and it sculpts and tones your lower body. 
6. Add oats to your smoothies. Throwing these into your blender will help stabilise your blood sugar levels so you’ll be less tempted to snack on mince pies. 
7. Take the stairs. Taking the stairs two at a time works your thighs and bottom harder. If you avoid the handrails, you’ll contract your abs more for balance. 
8. Create a playlist. Music is a great motivator, so draw up your list, name it ‘My Pretox Christmas Playlist’ and listen to it when you work out. 
9. Keep gym kit in sight. Put your workout gear on the radiator – this way you’re more likely to slip into it and head for a quick workout. 
10. Apply determination and discipline and you’ll get the desired results.

Good luck!

For more advice about enjoying this year’s festivities without sacrifice, pick up a copy of December’s HFG for tips on keeping a smart festive party strategy, see our choice of savvy drink swaps and cook up the best healthy versions of Christmas favourites.

How to find your get up and go…

By Melanie Leyshon

Confession: I’ve become desk-bound. It's no fault but my own, but I've turned into a right desk potato. Lately, I’ve even started lunching al desko. And I’m not alone, as eight out of 10 office workers admit they barely leave their desks during the working day. The only time we stretch out our legs is when we take the few steps to and from the loo, or the kitchen when it’s our turn to make the tea round. But health experts agree that endless hours of sitting are playing havoc with our health, weight and state of mind, putting us at greater risk of lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

So when a swanky fitness wristband that counts the steps you take arrived in the office, I jumped out of my chair, eager to give it a road test. The government recommends we take 10,000 steps a day for good health – a challenge I was ready to take on.

Unlike many gadgets, the Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band and I hit it off straight away – it’s that easy to set up. Wear it throughout the day like a watch, see your steps tot up on the screen, then press the button and it will sync your stats to your computer or smartphone.

That’s not to say there weren't any bumps in the road. The first time I wore the band it clocked 25 steps without me even standing up! But then I re-read the instructions and learned that Vivofit works by measuring arm movements, so I stopped waving my arms around at my desk and found my true stride.

How did I measure up? My walk to and from the train station clocked up 3,000 steps. Not enough. So I introduced a long walk at lunchtime, making up an extra 4,000 steps. Still not enough. Then I started walking instead of getting the tube to meet friends after work, and put in more and more effort to meet the 10,000 step target. It worked – by the second week I was topping 12,000 steps or more each day.

The band can track your sleep pattern, too, based on your movement. I found the more food and wine I had late in the evening, the more restless I was in the night. No surprises there.

Now for the big question: would I buy a Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band? Absolutely. It’s easy to manage and acts as a constant reminder to get up and move. After all, it’s all too easy to just sit here, typing…

Garmin Vivofit comes in six colours and costs £99.99 from buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/watches-wearable-technology/wearables/vivofit-/prod143405.html