Turkey Day Detox: Shaking off post-feast sluggishness

For many of our readers, yesterday was Thanksgiving. So in the wake of a holiday typically celebrated with some combination of eating too much and holding down the sofa, how do you reboot your body and get back to reality?

If you’re still trying to shake yesterday’s turkey coma or ever find yourself a little overindulged for some other reason, here are some tips for pulling it together and feeling like an athlete again.

Keep moving. Sluggishness leads to more sluggishness. It’s important to get moving again so you can get some good, positive energy flowing. If you have the day off, don’t let yourself get sucked back into the couch. If you’re at work or otherwise occupied, make the extra effort to walk around a little bit throughout the day, especially if you have a desk job. Even just puttering around the office or doing some light cleaning around the house can be enough to get your blood flowing again.

Reclaim your metabolism. Our bodies can be confused by a sudden onslaught of Thanksgiving goodness, especially if you take in more high-fat food than usual. If you wake up feeling like digestion hasn’t been working overtime to keep up with a big meal, starting the day off easy with a light breakfast that includes some fiber can get things back on track. The last thing you want to do is chase overeating with more overeating.

Drink some water. The single best thing you can do to help get your body back into game shape is to drink plenty of water. This is doubly true if Thursday’s merriment involved a couple of drinks. If you want to feel good today, drop everything and go knock back a big glass of water right now. You’ll feel an energy boost before your lips are dry and give your body the lubrication it needs to loosen up and perform better for the rest of the day. Just make sure you keep it coming throughout the day.

Run. There we said it. You knew it was coming. If you’re really looking to jumpstart your day, getting out there for a run is the way to do it. A little fresh air and exercise can do you a world of good — and all other benefits aside, it’ll get you out of the house. There’s two schools of thought on this one, depending on how you’re feeling: either get out there and complete the next workout in your plan or just cut loose and go for a fun, laid back run without worrying about the numbers. That’s the stuff a healthy lifestyle is made of.

So there you go. Hope your holiday was great and that training is going well. Happy Friday!