Avoid the Holiday Hangover By Following These Health Tips

Experts at Aligned Modern Health Suggest Staying Active, Getting Your Rest and Properly Hydrating 

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (December 18, 2018) – Aligned Modern Health, which offers patients functional medicine and clinical nutrition, acupuncture, chiropractic physical medicine, physical rehabilitation, and massage therapy, has offered local residents health tips to stay in shape over the holidays.

It’s not surprising that the average American gains a few pounds over the holiday season given travel, family gatherings, and a slew of Christmas and New Year’s parties. It’s easy to overindulge, but that doesn’t need to be the case if you have a smart, well thought out plan to address the holiday season.

The health experts at Aligned Modern Health suggest the following tips to ensure having plenty of energy before, during and after the holidays, making sure you don’t let the season run you down. These include:

·      Maintain a Regular Workout Regime: Even if you have to work out a bit less or at home, carve out some time to stay active. If you are going out of town, look for a local gym to use. Regular physical activity burns calories and keeps you in shape, but also helps reduce holiday stress. 

·      Look for Additional Ways to Stay Active: Gym time may be at a premium the next few weeks, but there are other ways to stay active. Bundle up and go for wintry walk with the dog, go sledding or skiing, do some mall walking when buying your gifts, or visit winter attractions that require you to walk around. There are plenty of ways to stay active so that you don’t undo all the hard work you’ve put into staying healthy.

·      Prioritize Sleep and Make Sure You Get Your Rest: Aim for eight hours of sleep consistently and resist the urge to overdue it by allowing yourself to slow down and relax. Inadequate sleep also contributes to weight gain and increased incidence of getting sick. Don’t be afraid to take that nap when you have time to do so.  

·      Don’t Forget to Hydrate: The holidays are incredibly busy and people tend to overindulge on a variety of beverages (some alcoholic), but they really need to be focused on getting as much water as they possibly can. Water, not surgery sports drinks, will keep your energy levels up and your weight down. Everything in the body functions better when properly hydrated.

“It’s the ok to indulge a bit, after all it’s the time of year to have a little extra food with family and friends, but don’t go overboard on the portions or sweets to the point that you develop poor eating habits going into the New Year,” said Dr. Barbie Allegretti, who specializes in functional medicine and nutrition at Aligned Modern Health. “The holidays are a great time for reflection and personal renewal, thinking about what you want for yourself to take action now.”

“If you are going to engage in more outdoor activities, stretch and prepare just as you would before a workout,” said Dr. Stephanie Boehm, a chiropractic physician at Aligned Modern Health.  “We see a lot of patients who injure themselves shoveling or in winter sports because they didn’t take the same precautions they would before a normal workout session. Stay hydrated, stretch and loosen up before engaging in any physical activity. Be smart!”

The Aligned Modern Health clinic is located at 40 N. Northwest Highways in the Shops of Uptown in Park Ridge. The clinic can be contacted at mailto:parkridge@alignedmodernhealth.com or (847) 737-1023.

About Aligned Modern Health

Since opening in 2010, Aligned Modern Health has opened 15 locations in the Chicago area and employs more than 100 professionals dedicated to improving people’s lives. More information on the company is available at www.alignedmodernhealth.com or email info@alignedmodernhealth.com.

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