A Thanksgiving-Week Workout Routine

Most Americans consume between 1,700 and 3,000 calories during their Thanksgiving feast. And that doesn’t include other meals. By the end of the day, your caloric intake may be an upwards of 4,500 to 5,000 calories. That’s going to take a whole lot of turkey trotting to burn off. Because burning 5,000 calories is unrealistic for most to accomplish after a day of gorging, try spreading out your workout over the course of the week to prepare for the big meal. Here’s a five-day workout plan you can follow to feel a little better about your over-eating.

Monday (Cook and Clean)
We understand that you’re going to be busy all week as you prepare for Thursday. But you can burn an awful lot of calories just by completing your chores. As you cook, track your steps. When you walk from the fridge to the stove to the pantry and so on, the numbers can really add up. Once you’ve got most of your cooking done, start preparing the house for guests. Cooking and cleaning for a couple hours can burn a few hundred calories without you even knowing it.

Tuesday (Get Outside)
It may be a little cold out, but a proper outdoor exercise can be a game-changer when it comes to the Thanksgiving workout routine. Get some much-needed stress-relief and burn extra calories with a light run or jog around town. Or, grab a friend or two for a scenic hike or bike ride.

Wednesday (Circuit Train)
With traffic building and the urge to leave the house dwindling, try mixing in a quick circuit workout at home. Try doing five sets of 20 of each: pushups, crunches, air squats, bench dips, lunges and jumping jacks. Take a minute or two to rest in between sets. This should only take 30-45 minutes and can burn up to 500 calories. 

Thursday (Morning Workout)
Family may start rolling in relatively early on Thanksgiving Day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a workout in. A morning exercise can help give you an energy boost and even boost your metabolism throughout the day. As gyms are usually closed on Thanksgiving, try repeating any of the workouts from earlier in the week or use your family to your advantage. A game of flag football can burn a few hundred calories if you have a couple star-quarterbacks in the family.

Friday (Gym Day)
Instead of getting trampled by a Black Friday crowd, try switching shopping for sweating. Head to the gym and burn off as many calories as you can. Do a mix of cardio, weight-training and ab workouts to hit the trifecta of training after a day of non-stop eating.

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