How to Maintain Health During the Holidays: An Athlete’s Guide by Guest Post JVA December 21, 2021 | 3 minutes, 1 second read AlexandraKa via Shutterstock At this time every year, athletes add another important aspect to their lives that can impact their training and performance: celebrating the holidays. With more time dedicated to seeing friends and family, this can be a healthful and restorative period for athletes—a chance to mentally recharge. The holidays, however, bring several temptations that when left unchecked can lead to negative effects on training that outweigh the positive energy during this month. Let’s look into how people tend to overindulge and what strategies you can exercise to maintain fitness through the month. Respect your hard work and discipline during the rest of the year by following these tips! Indulge in moderation. One lavish meal won’t dig you into a hole but a season of calorie-dense meals will, so try to exercise greater vigilance throughout the month. It is unlikely that the one to two pounds the average American gains during the holidays (and doesn’t lose, according to a The New England Journal of Medicine study) comes from a specific meal you had. The hidden calories are in all the little treats throughout the season. Included in that category are peppermint mochas, the candy bowl that sits on the table for the month of December, the endless supply of holiday cookies, and many more parties that involve festive drinks. About JVA The JVA Vision is to be the premier organization to serve all the needs of the Junior Volleyball Community. JVA is the ONLY national association that is 100% focused on junior volleyball and the needs of junior clubs. JVA is the leader in Junior Volleyball Programs and is a voice for junior clubs – your programs and your needs. JVA's number one goal is to help your club programs and events thrive. JVA unites club directors, coaches and educators to improve the junior volleyball experience. More Healthy at Home Articles Scholastic’s Summer Read-a-Palooza Will Encourage Kids to Read as Much as Possible Scholastic's Summer Read-a-Palooza can motivate children to get lost in books even when school isn't in session Taking Your Dollars Further with FlipGive While many aspects of our lives have been placed on hold during this uncertain time we want to ensure we’re doing our best to help families make their dollars go further Kids Stuck At Home? Here’s How To Keep Them Busy And Grow Their Brains At The Same Time Three Softball and Baseball Drills You Can Do Indoors Focus on proper form and technique. It’s an easy way to get some quality pitching reps in even if you have no one to catch for you. Teach Your Child to Love a Sport What you need to know so that your budding athlete always feels like a winner. 7 Lacrosse Shooting Drills to Practice on Your Own With regular practice of our lacrosse shooting drills this off-season, you too can become a dangerous goal scorer by spring. Pandemic Injuries: Accepting the Scribbles During Recovery The current pandemic has presented great uncertainty about health, education, and future goals combined with a lack of predictability about pace of recovery to more usual activities, including sports. 5 Healthy Packed Lunches for the Busy Parent and Athlete Here are some tips for packing easy lunches with minimal prep—and these options can feed you as well as your hungry athlete The Myth of the Triple Threat Position The Triple Threat Position is a staple of basketball fundamentals, but should it be? The Ultimate Parents’ Guide to Education and Activity Resources Many more online portals and entertaining apps have been with us all along but never seemed more relevant. To give parents a sense of what’s out there, we’ve compiled resources in 10 categories Ideas for Snacks, Cooking and More to Help Keep Kids Occupied Your child’s snacking mood may vary, but you can always maintain healthy snacking habits 6 Ways Coaches Can Continue to Support their Athletes During COVID-19 Coaches and experts around the U.S. weigh in on how you can support your athletes when in-person practices and games aren’t happening due to Covid-19 View More Read the Rest of the Article at JVA sports in this article Volleyball tags in this article Athlete Healthy at Home JVA