It is that time of year again... Time for holiday parties at work, mom's delicious carb-heavy meals, cookie decorating and gingerbread house building, and pies. Oh, so many pies! Of course, the downside of all this holiday goodness is that many of us get an unwanted gift at this time of year: weight gain.

If an expanding waistline is not the present you had in mind, there is a solution, and it isn't what you'd think. Many of us already flood the gym in January only to get bored of the repetitive machines by spring. It feels hard to keep that up. So what else can we do?

A key to preventing weight gain is to incorporate movement into your life (without the negative connotations of exercise). Take a walk with a friend. Seek fun activities that embrace movement but don't feel like the chore exercise sometimes can. In other words, get off that elliptical!

One great way to get your body moving, and have so much fun doing it you forget about the calorie burn, is by signing up for dance lessons. According to NBCnews.com, "the more demanding dances like the salsa, samba and cha-cha can be comparable to an intense session at the gym." If you aren't up for a furious sweat session yet, there are different types of ballroom dancing to suit all ability levels.

Calorie-Counter.net estimates about 15 minutes of ballroom dancing burns about 50 calories. That means you can dance your way to a 200 calorie/hour workout! Incorporating dance lessons into your holiday plans can be a great way to maintain your weight this holiday season.

With a passion for dancing, the dread of another boring exercise routine can be transformed into a fun past-time. Indulge guilt-free on Christmas cookies, Eggnog, and your family's feasts, and then dance those calories off.

Ready to get down off that elliptical? We're ready to help you find your inner dancer. Please contact us today.