# Stay Active This Christmas Season
The holiday season brings endless desserts and festive movies along with comfortable couch dinners. Christmas naturally encourages us to be less active. However sitting too much damages your health regardless of the season. The holidays are particularly risky since our eating habits often deteriorate as well. Dr Sarah Jarvis from GH explains that people easily spend extended periods sitting while working at computers or watching television or using their phones. A 2024 study examined nearly half a million people and found that those who sit most of the day at work face over 30 percent higher risk of dying from heart attack or stroke. They also have significantly higher chances of early death overall. Staying active during Christmas does not require intense workouts or strict routines. Simple changes can make a real difference to your health. Taking short walks after meals helps digestion & burns extra calories from holiday treats. Playing active games with family members keeps everyone moving while creating fun memories together. The key is finding small opportunities throughout the day to move your body. Standing up during phone calls or doing light stretches while watching movies adds up over time. Even household tasks like decorating or cleaning count as physical activity. Making movement a natural part of your holiday celebrations protects your health without sacrificing enjoyment of the season.
These results stayed the same even after researchers considered other factors like sex & age and smoking & drinking and weight. The Christmas period makes staying healthy & fit more challenging than usual. Personal trainer Kim Hawley works as a senior sleep and wellness tester at GHI and notes that health and fitness and mental wellbeing always get neglected during Christmas. She emphasizes that any amount of activity helps. Kim suggests adding simple exercises to your daily routine by connecting them with regular activities. She calls these Christmas Cues and points out that they require no gym equipment or special workout clothes. These small movements need minimal effort but provide a substantial energy boost during the holidays. Staying active does not need to become another task on your already busy list.
## Stair Climbing Exercise
Take stairs two steps at a time whenever you go upstairs.
You receive additional advantages when you hold an item during this activity.
