Turning Black Friday into Your Workout of the Day

What’s better than saving big on popular brand items? Burning off that Thanksgiving meal at the same time!

Today’s fast paced millennial isn’t afraid to juggle severals balls at the same time. Multi-tasking is our way of life. So why should Black Friday be any different? We know you’re likely to spend Thanksgiving balancing the difficult task of cooking the perfect meal while entertaining friends and family and tending to an unruly child, or five… Then, of course, comes the real test of the day: Trying to stuff yourself with as much turkey as possible while still holding a conversation.

Then comes Black Friday

Since you’re already focused on where the best sales are and the quickest (and safest) route to get there, why not add a little fitness game into the mix? Why not use the Black Friday adrenaline to burn a few extra calories?

Picking up the pace a little will help you burn off extra calories

You’re already going to do a lot of walking going from store to store. Pick up the pace a little, and use your arms to maximize the calories you burn. Or, if there aren’t too many people around, do a few short, interval sprints between shops. Try this game, choose a person ahead of you in the crowd, and increase your pace until you catch up with that person, then another.

Avoid escalators and elevators

Walk up or down the stairs instead. Don’t just step, pump it up! You’ll also get to the next store faster, giving you just a little bit of an edge over the other shoppers. It could be the few seconds difference between getting the popular toy for the season or settling for last year’s model.

Carry some load

The more you buy, the heavier your load and the more calories you’ll burn. Carrying a backpack will allow you to distribute the load evenly so that you don’t end up overloading one side of your body and causing an injury. A pack will also enable you to pack some healthy snacks.

While you are checking out items on the shelves, lift them up. Especially if they weigh a few pounds. If you’re picking up heavy items, don’t forget about using proper lifting techniques. Just because you’re in a store and not in the box, doesn’t mean you can lose your form. Injuries can happen anywhere, especially if you’re paying more attention to sales tags that your technique.

Plan your meals

Remember to stay hydrated and eat a healthy, nutritious meal. Black Friday shopping can be a natural calorie burner. But your body needs the fuel to keep you shopping all day long. If you don’t plan when to stop for food, chances are you’ll be so hungry that you may be tempted to settle for anything. Don’t let the shorter line rule your decisions and don’t wait too long to eat until you are so hungry you order twice as much. Pack your meal and set an alarm for when you have to stop and eat. Stay hydrated, keep it fun, keep it healthy!

We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday shopping!