Move more, sit less and celebrate outside this holiday season

For many, wintertime celebrations conjure memories of gathering with friends and family, sitting cozied up around a fireplace. There is nothing wrong with getting cozy—after all, we all love some hygge (the Danish concept of enjoying comfort and good company in a warm atmosphere).

But we already spend too much time sitting around: 80% of American adults and youth fail to meet the recommended amount of daily movement needed to stave off chronic disease and with the pandemic, adolescents spend over seven hours a day looking at a screen.

Plus the winter holiday season has become synonymous with celebrations that have us moving less while eating more — and this has been exacerbated by a long period of pandemic-related sedentarism. So this year, consider stepping outside of your usual routine and adding movement to your traditions — and bringing some of them outdoors.