MACON, Ga. — Some people began their Thanksgiving day carving out time for a workout before carving their Thanksgiving turkey.
Doug Wasden spent his morning at Regymen Fitness, attending the 7 a.m. workout class.
"I don't typically do this now, I typically get up and eat a lot of turkey," Wasden said. "I burned, I think 1600 calories yesterday, I think 1500 today, so I burn a lot of calories so I've got room to eat today."
Wasden actually burned 1927 calories during Thursday's workout. He says he started prioritizing his health after he gained weight following a surgery, adding since the first of July, he's lost 50 pounds.
"Now going into Thanksgiving Day is kind of nice because I feel like I can eat what I want to eat today because I've met some goals that I didn't expect to meet this quickly," Wasden said.
The gym's owner, Tish Arnold, also made a lifestyle change; she said now she's helping others do the same. She says nearly 50 people took advantage of the morning class at Regymen Fitness on Thanksgiving.
"So they'll go home and cook and then spend time with their families," Arnold said. "But they don't feel guilty about the food they're eating today because they came in and burned 800 to 1000 calories because we had a 90 minute workout today."
Health is wealth, Arnold added.
"People don't realize that the earlier you start looking at how you are taking care of your body the longer you'll live," she said.
According to the Mayo Health Clinic, doctors recommend balancing your plate and finding festive food-free activities such as scoping out volunteer opportunities or hanging Christmas lights. Both Wasden and Arnold said they encourage folks to exercise regularly.
"You've got to come first, you've got to get here, you got to come and then you've got to just keep at it," he said.
He's determined to lose a few more pounds before roping in the new year. Arnold says everyone's routine is different but it's important to keep your health habits consistent and set realistic goals.
