Season's Greetings from Run England!

All of us at the Run England team would like to wish you a very happy festive period and New Year!

Whether you can't help yourself sneaking out for a Christmas Day run, or you're too full from mince pies and chocolate to even move, we hope you enjoy the festive period.

If you do want to make sure you don't lose too much fitness at this time of year, try to stay active, both for fitness but also for your general health - and it will make things so much easier in the new year! 

Most of us sit around more than usual at Christmas time which can tighten up your back, hamstrings and hip flexors. So make sure you look after yourself by getting up to stretch your legs and get some fresh air, even if it just means wrapping up and going for a walk or stretching in front of the Christmas TV. If you'd like some extra motivation to start running, more run or run faster in the new year, sign up to Jantastic 2014 with your running group!

You might even want to carry your running on through Christmas, or even pick it up if you have a bit more spare time on your hands - and aren't too full of turkey! Meeting up with friends for a run is always a great way to have fun and stay safe, and you can even introduce some festive fancy dress! If you do, don't forget to take pictures and enter our Santa Run competition for the chance to win £50 worth of gear from the England Athletics store!

We all let our hair down over Christmas, but if you're serious about keeping in shape, one way is to be imaginative with your diet. Pack your fridge with healthy foods and remember you can snack on things like healthy carrot and celery sticks with hummus, or turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce in a wholemeal pitta bread, instead of chocolate and mince pies. Then, if one of your New Year's resolutions is to improve your diet, check out group leader and nutrition expert Louise Shannon's food blog for the basic truth behind what you eat - just Google 'Food, Fuel & Running Blog'!

So, to everyone in the 55,000 strong Run England community, we wish you all a happy holiday!