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Dec 15

Grace and Tamika share 5 tips to stay active in Birmingham during the holidays – Bham Now

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Grace Smitherman and Tamika Harris arent afraid to lift some weights. Photo via Taylor Babington for Bham Now

When I think about the holidays, the words healthy and fit dont exactly come to mind. Birmingham is a social city and a foodie town. Staying on track with your health might require a little extra nudge this time of year. For inspiration, I reached out to two associates at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabamabelow are some insider tips they recommend.

Grace Smitherman and Tamika Harris of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama are both into fitness. In addition to making exercise a priority personally, they also teach fitness classes at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and local studios.

Each of their journeys with exercise started with finding workouts they were passionate about. Grace found Pure Barre, and Tamika found a love of group fitness, strength training and weight lifting.

I decided to take [fitness] seriously because I was overweight, said Tamika. I was 235 pounds and wanted to lose weight the healthy wayno surgeries or fad diets.

And she did. Tamika lost 100 pounds! Thats certainly something to be proud of.

Luckily for us, Birmingham has many unique fitness options, from boxing to Barre to yoga and beyond. Theres something for everyone.

Tamika said that getting fit starts with taking baby steps. While you dont have to set big fitness goals during the holidays, you can still work toward being healthy.

Being healthy around the holidays is a little harder. Try to incorporate something healthyworkout-wise or food-wiseinto your day.

Grace agreed. Everything in moderation, she said. Dont cheat yourself during the holidays, but plan accordingly. She and her family like to get out to Moss Rock Preserve or walk in the neighborhood. Birmingham has walking options galore!

Staying on track with fitness helps if you have someone holding you accountable. Grace and Tamika mentioned Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabamas wellness incentives as motivators for staying active.

The company hosts different health initiatives throughout the year, including a Time to Move walking challenge and a nutrition program. They also have a fitness center onsite. Associates can claim rewards for participating in these programs.

It forces you to get healthy. You cant leave those rewards sitting on the table!

Even if your company doesnt have resources like this, you can still find a friend or family member to give you support. And you can always treat yourself for getting active! A little extra motivation never hurts.

Grace said exercise should be something you do to take care of yourselfnot something you do as a way to punish yourself for eating the wrong thing.

To me, exercise is a great way to relieve stress and take care of my body, not punish it. Its a struggle as a full-time working mom, but its so worth it.

We all have days when we get off track. No one needs to feel guilty about indulging in a holiday dessert. Criticizing ourselves about these things wont help us get any healthier in the long run.

Dont beat yourself up if you fall short. That one day is not going to sabotage your plans.

Thanks for sharing these tips, Grace and Tamika!

How do you stay active during the holidays? What did we miss? Let us know @BhamNow.

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Grace and Tamika share 5 tips to stay active in Birmingham during the holidays - Bham Now

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