Keep Prancing And Dancing

Guidelines don't change. The 60 minutes of daily physical activity you need to keep fit may be the perfect antidote for relieving seasonal stress and weight gain.

Dovetail physical activity with seasonal festivities.

Use the mall's stairs, not the escalator -- at least until your feet hurt.
Enjoy active household tasks that make the season glitter: decorating the house, polishing silver, kneading holiday bread dough or chopping firewood.
Decorate outdoors. With kids, drape cranberry and popcorn chains on evergreens to feed the birds. For ornaments, roll pinecones in peanut butter and birdseed.
Put action in family gatherings. Move away from the dinner table, put leftovers away (perhaps leave the dishes 'til later), and encourage everyone to join in active fun. Walk a nearby trail, go caroling, make a snowman, sled in the park, go snow-shoeing, or play touch football, weather permitting.
Sneak in a fitness stop. After running holiday errands, a 30-minute workout and a 10-minute sauna may feel great.

Source: 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association (Wiley 2004), Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS