With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s tough getting motivated to hit the gym but luckily, Nicole Scherzinger’s trainer shared with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, some tricks for staying in shape this season!
The holiday season is right around the corner and if you’ve been trying to stay fit, this is the time of year that can throw you out of wack. If there’s one person who always maintains her fitness routine and looks absolutely amazing it’s Nicole Scherzinger, 41, and luckily, her personal trainer, Paolo Mascitti, shared with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, his tips and tricks for staying fit and motivated this season. “Never feel bad about having a cheat day, everybody needs one,” Paolo admits. “Cheat days do happen and Thanksgiving is THE day to indulge and give yourself some slack. Remember, we are all humans and we also need to spend quality time with family and friends who have spent hours cooking up a delicious feast. My best advice is to do your workout in the morning when you plan to cheat later in the day. Prepare yourself for the impending food coma,” he said.
As for how you can indulge this holiday season without feeling guilty, Paolo admits, “Please don’t feel bad or beat yourself up about the occasional overindulgence. However, if you rarely overindulge, your body may stop you in time naturally as you aren’t used to the heavy and fatty foods often eaten on holidays. You can also substitute some of the traditionally heavy holiday foods for lighter alternatives. Another way is to indulge in all the foods but limit the number of refills and make sure to drink lots of water to avoid room for fewer foods. The occasional indulgence can have its benefit physically and psychologically because when you reduce your calories, your body’s leptin levels (the body’s signals whether you are hungry or not), decrease. By indulging, your leptin levels increase and signal to your body that you aren’t overly hungry and continues to release fat. Plus, the occasional indulgence will motivate you to stay on track outside of the occasional cheat day.”
One of the hardest things to do during the holidays and during the cold winter months is staying motivated. However, Paolo revealed som great advice for sticking to your fitness plan, despite not wanting to. “A good holiday motivation is you want to look good for all the holiday parties. It’s a social time a year. It may be cold and rainy but don’t let that deter you from taking care of your health. You’ve been working hard for those abs all year so don’t completely ignore them now. But most of all, have a plan in place to keep you motivated. Have your holiday workout scheduled and put on paper – this helps keep you on track and feel your absolute best.”
If you can’t make it to the gym, Paolo revealed some workouts you can do at home when it’s too cold to leave the house. “There are many ways to benefit your body by using your own body weight. Bodyweight workouts are really an efficient form of exercise that produce fast results. Combining cardio moves like jumping jacks and high knees with strength exercises, you will build lean muscles. Some of the strength exercises you can do at home include push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and squats. This also improves a healthier heart. There is no set number of reps but I would recommend to do as many as possible and try to push yourself. We are all at different levels so do what feels right for you.”