Turkey Trots to help you work off those Thanksgiving calories

Can you believe it? It's already mid-November, and Thanksgiving is next week.

Americans have a love/hate relationship (well, mostly love) with the Thanksgiving holiday. While everyone loves the family time and the delicious holiday favorites, most people dread consuming the enormous number of calories that most of us seem unable to resist.

According to the experts, Americans will take in an average of 4,500 calories per person on Thanksgiving Day. Yikes!

Yes, that's an enormous number of calories, but go on and enjoy yourself. Just don't think you can burn up all of those calories during your next workout.

Realistically speaking, even if you ran 10 miles or took a double spin class, you would barely put a dent in those 4,500 calories.  At best, you'd likely burn about one-quarter of that, about 1,125 calories.

So, enjoy your Thanksgiving feast. Just make sure you schedule time for a workout.

Most commercial gyms are open for at least part of the day on Thanksgiving.  Don't forget to sign up for that spin class and get in some time on the weights, too.

If gyms aren't your thing, then to MLK Drive or Kelly Drive for a quick scenic workout. Better yet, how about participating in one of the local Turkey Trot fund-raising runs?  What's not to love about getting some good clean air, exercising together, and raising money for a worthy cause?

If that sounds right to you, check out and register now for one of these three local Thanksgiving charitable events:

If you want to start the day by giving thanks, you may want to participate in the Philly Turkey Trot. This is the 25th anniversary of the annual 5-mile charity run. In addition to getting a workout, you'll  have an opportunity to bond with family and friends, and, best of all, you'll be giving back by supporting the Face to Face human services organization, which is dedicated to serving those in need in the East Germantown area.  For more information and registration, go to facetofacegermantown.org

Or you can run or walk with the Cardinal Foley School 5K Run and Family Fun Walk. On the Family Fun Walk (1.2 miles), you will travel through the streets of Havertown; the 5K route will loop you around the Brookline neighborhood. For more information and registration, visit cardinalfoley.org

In Bucks County, there's the 28th annual Customers Bank BCRR Thanksgiving Day 5-mile foot race and one-mile Fun Run conducted by the largest running club in the county. The 5-mile course runs from the Summit Square Shopping Center through streets of Middletown Township to Core Creek Park and back. The Fun Run is out-and-back.  The BCRR's charity partners are Matt's Mission, Parkinson Alliance, Courier Times Give a Christmas, Advocates for the Homeless and Those in Need.  For more information and registration, visit runsignup.com/Race/PA/Langhorne/CustomersBankBCRRThanksgivingDay5Miler

Though you won't burn up all those calories in a day, if you exercise on Thanksgiving and, especially if you participate in one of the Turkey Trots, you will feel good about completing a race, giving thanks, and helping others.