Philly fitness guru Kate DeGennaro schools us on burning those holiday calories

Now that the holidays are here, high-calorie goodies are everywhere and even the most disciplined among us can’t (and shouldn’t) resist a little indulgence.

“You will eat a cookie. You will definitely eat a slice of pie. And no one ever says no to a hot toddy,” says full time Philly fitness instructor, Kate DeGennaro. “With hectic schedules and holiday parties, plan your sweaty pursuits in advance.”

No matter how crazy your life is, there’s always a way to make time for fitness.

“Every Sunday make a fitness plan,” she says. “Whether it’s signing up for a workout or meeting a friend, creating a routine will help alleviate any schedule stress and eliminate any ‘I shouldn’t have had that snowman cookie’ feelings.”

So if you’re looking to turbo blast those extra holiday calories, DeGennaro gives us the lowdown on how to do it.

“Around the holidays, everyone wants to burn calories so they don’t feel guilty about indulging a little,” she says. “Be it running, cycling, power yoga, or Pilates, figuring out what method burns calories at the highest rate and in the shortest amount of time is a constant struggle.”

As a fitness professional, even DeGennaro doesn’t get a whole lot of time to workout on her own, because she’s busy helping her clients.

“When I get an hour or so a day to spend on myself, I use it wisely at high intensity, effective and targeting workouts.”

Her first pick is SLT (Megaformer), where you burn 400-500 calories in 50 minutes.

“SLT creates constant low impact tension between the machine, gravity, and the client all while stabilizing the spine and strengthening the core,” she says.

Miss riding your bike as the weather gets colder? She suggests giving indoor cycling a try at a studio like Soul Cycle where you can burn 500 to 700 calories in 45 minutes. You can also look for HIIT  (High-intensity interval training) classes where you can expect to burn 300 calories in 30 minutes.

So there’s no need to deprive yourself of those holiday goodies — as long as you keep that body moving!

For more information on Kate DeGennaro, follow her on Instagram @barelybrewed.