Why did the turkey cross the road? Because it was the chicken’s day off.

Why should the rest of us cross the road? Because we probably need the exercise.

We are rapidly approaching the holiday season, that magical time of the year of eating more and exercising less than we should, though perhaps I should speak for myself. I freely admit that I spend the whole season basking in the various treats that patient families bring us, dive deep into every office and family food event, and apologize for nothing I eat.

Post-feast weight loss is another popular tradition many engage in—myself included. Though crossing the road can help, what we need is an organized exercise program to help us shed Thanksgiving-acquired pounds. An endeavor we hope will allow us to repeat the whole process come Christmas. Most of you will be thankful I’ve offered you these exercises, which perfectly matches the spirit of Thanksgiving, though others may find them as alluring as a 10-pound fruitcake.

My patients generally tolerate these exercises well. However, it’s always a good idea to confer with your medical provider to see if they are right for you.

For a fun post-Thanksgiving feast activity, gather all the family and friends to try these exercises together.

5 Post-Thanksgiving Exercises

1. Turkey Treks

Once you finish digesting, your first order of business is to get up and get going. Quickly. Because of this, though you may be inclined to take a leisurely stroll with family and friends after eating, we'll start our actual post-feast exercise with a brisk walk.

Step 1: Start your walk at a slow pace to let your body settle in and warm up for the harder stuff to come. Walk your normal walking speed for 5 minutes. 

Step 2: Start walking briskly for 20 to 30 minutes while paying attention to how your body feels. Brisk means walking as fast as you can while still being able to speak in complete sentences. Calories are merciless, and so are therapists.

Step 3: Enter a cool-down phase by slowing to your normal walking pace for 5 minutes. 

Congratulations! Turkey treks might not seem like much at first, but they are challenging, especially the longer you do them. 

Modifications: If a brisk pace is too much, just try to walk faster than usual. If increasing the speed is too much, but you usually take a daily walk, just add a second stroll.

2. Stuffing Stomps

Now that you’ve had a nice, long walk to aid in digestion, let’s move on to something a little faster-paced: brisk hopping movements to get your metabolism moving.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your side, and elbows bent 90 degrees. 

Step 2: Quickly lift your right knee as high as you can and then stomp down. Repeat the movement on the left side. A stomp on each side counts as 1 repetition. Try to perform 3 sets of 20 repetitions because there’s a lot of stuffing to deal with around Thanksgiving. 

3. Pies & Thighs

We all have that one family member who falls asleep on the couch or in a chair after a big meal, and once you’ve roused and ousted the napper, you can perform this exercise from the same chair. Like all squats, it provides a great workout for your thighs and, unlike most, contains a bit of imagination.

Step 1: Sit at the front of the chair with your hands resting in your lap and feet shoulder-width apart. Pretend you’re holding a pie in your hands.

Step 2: Lean forward and slowly stand up. As you do, lift the “pie” off your lap and toward the sky. Pie in the sky!

Step 3: As soon as you stand up all the way and lift your favorite invisible pie to the sky, return to sitting and place the pie back on your lap. Rising up and then sitting back down counts as 1 repetition. Try to perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions.

Modification: Want to make this exercise more challenging? Of course you do! The way to do that is to perform the repetitions without completely sitting down or locking your knees when you stand. This keeps a constant, unending pressure on your thighs and maximizes the workout.

You can substitute a real weight for your tasty invisible pie to give your arms and shoulders a better workout. 

4. Cranberry Crunches

Now that we’ve walked briskly and practiced standing and sitting, let’s get down on the floor for another high-intensity exercise. Cranberry crunches will focus on crunching and reciprocal arm and leg movements, which can help burn off some of those sugary calories you’ve enjoyed so much throughout the Thanksgiving season.

Do this after the above exercises, or you may be tempted to take a turkey-tryptophan-induced nap once you lie on the floor.

Note: Keep your stomach muscles tight while you perform this exercise, and move slowly because there’s a tendency to speed up as you go.

Step 1: Lie flat on your back, arms by your sides and legs side by side. 

Step 2: Keep your knees straight and lift your legs slightly off the floor. At the same time, reach both arms straight up toward the ceiling.

Step 3: Bend your right leg so that your knee and hip are at 90 degrees of flexion. At the same time, move your right arm toward the wall behind you; your arm should be parallel to the floor and only inches above it. Move slowly, taking 2 seconds to move into position, and hold position for 1 second. 

Step 4: Return your arm and leg to their starting positions and repeat the movement with your left leg and arm. One way to understand these movements is that only one side moves at a time.

Step 5: Moving each arm and leg into position counts as 1 repetition. Try to perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

5. Pumpkin Spice Push-Ups

Let’s finish with a zesty exercise guaranteed to get your lungs working and your heart pumping. It’s a tough one, but I’ve offered modifications to make it more accessible.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms by your sides.

Step 2: Squat down and back, moving into a “push-up” position.

Step 3: Complete a full push-up, step to your hands, and return to standing. 

Step 4: As you return to standing, you can include a hop to add a little more spiciness at the end. 

Step 5: Moving into a push-up and back to standing counts as 1 repetition. Try to complete 3 sets of 12 repetitions. It’s a tough exercise; hang in there!

Modifications:

• If getting down to the push-up position doesn’t work for you, perform a modified push-up off a chair (easier) or countertop (easiest).
• If you can get down but can’t do a full classic push-up, place your knees on the floor for a modified push-up.
• If you struggle with that, moving into the push-up position and returning to standing without lowering all the way down may be your best option.

Be thankful. These fun Thanksgiving exercises can help you melt away those unwanted pounds. Perform them at least 3 times per week, preferably once daily, to help get back to your pre-feast weight.