Whether it's a 'GOAL Mile' or just a few press-ups, exercising on Christmas Day is a great way to kick off the best day of the year. Here are a few reasons why.
Seb Coe once told a story of sitting at home on Christmas Day having spent the morning running twelve hard miles, doubtless imagining putting his great rival Steve Ovett to the sword. Once his Christmas dinner was eaten he began to feel uneasy, paranoid that Ovett was training twice that day, and eventually went out and trained again. Later, Coe told Ovett of his predicament. His rival's response, according to Coe?
He laughed. 'Did you only go out twice that day?' he asked.
We can't all be Coes or Ovetts. For most of us, being able to prise ourselves out of bed and towards wherever there is food, presents or both is enough of an achievement on Christmas Day, especially if Christmas Eve is a heavy one. But here are a few reasons why you should nip out the door to do a bit of exercise on Christmas Day:
You can do it for charity!
Whether it's the annual COPE Galway swim, the Michael Power Memorial swim in Waterford or a GOAL mile (one of many held across the country), you might be surprised at how many worthy causes there are dotted around Ireland hosting events on Christmas Day. And from a selfish point of view, it starts the day off with seriously positive vibes!
You can enjoy the Christmas Day spread without any of the guilt
Whether it's a twenty minute jog or forty minutes bringing the dog up and down the road, working up a bit of a sweat on Christmas morning means you can stuff yourself with turkey, chocolate, wine and whatever else with less fear of searing regret come the evening or the next morning.
Or just don't have regrets.
Sweat out the toxins and be more prepared for the next (drinking) session
If you have multiple sessions planned over the course of Christmas then it might be a good idea to sweat out some of the toxins that alcohol produces, to leave your body a little bit fresher when it's facing up to its next set of cans.
Your liver can't do all of the work!
You can absolutely murder your Christmas dinner
If you're normally fairly impressed with your ability to shovel insane amounts of food into yourself at Christmas time, watch how you better yourself having worked up a bit more of an appetite in the morning.
If you're someone who prides themselves on eating the most in the family, for example, this is a great tactic.
It's a chance to catch up with someone in a way that doesn't involve drinking
'Why the hell would I want to do this?' You may ask. Well, not from a 'being dry' point of view, more from a practical standpoint. There are always a lot of people we need to catch up with at Christmas time and there often simply aren't enough evenings to cover them all.
Why not meet up with an old team-mate to kick a few points over the bar or crack out a few push-ups?
It'll help clear the head away from/ahead of the claustrophobia of family and friends
Christmas involves meeting a lot of old friends and family members that you maybe don't see as often as you'd like. It's brilliant. But it is also fairly full-on and it does no harm to get out for a bit of alone-time.
You'll be more energised to make the most of any time you do spend surrounded by family and friends.
There is hardly anyone about
The roads are fairly quiet and any parks or towpaths are dead on Christmas morning. Peace and quiet are yours to enjoy.
You'll be a source of awe and fascination
Your tale will be told at the family gathering to 'oohs' and 'aahs' and exclamations of 'fair play t'ya'. Rarely are mere mortals more fascinated than when confronted with the story of someone who has trained on Christmas Day. And there's no need to worry about having to spread your own gospel. Simply whisper it to someone and watch them share your tale throughout the day.
You'll never guess what this eejit was up to this mornin'?
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