If you're planning to be amongst the hoards of holiday shoppers come Black Friday, here are some ideas to stay sane and fit while in the midst of all the mall madness. Why not Target Black Friday to get a workout?

1. Prep as early as you can. Don't wait until the morning of to gather these items. Try for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or earlier: layers of clothing to be peeled off when going from waiting outside to under the hot lights of a department store: jacket, hoodie or light sweater, short-sleeved t-shirt; comfortable supportive shoes, refillable water bottle, preferably to be carried in a purse, lunch bag or small cooler to hold food, four large cloth tote bags and a large back pack.

2. Make sure to start sleeping well tonight. Concentrate on logging in a good 8 hours of zzz's. If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, make the meal between 4 and 5:30 p.m. so you'll have enough time to clean up and pack a meal for the next day.

3. Prepare Black Friday's lunch: A turkey sandwich on whole grain bread or in a pita with lots of vegetables or a salad is an easy choice. Or try hard boiled eggs with cheese or hummus and crackers, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or yogurt with almonds and blueberries. In addition, pack a fruit and a protein bar. If you think you're going to be shopping for more than six hours, pack two meals.

4. Prepare your Black Friday purse. Stock it with the following: A list of what you need to purchase and attach any coupons or ads to it. A reusable drinking bottle filled with water and two protein bars or  snack-sized bags of nuts or trail mix. Take lots of sips during the day to stay hydrated and have a protein bar after shopping for two or three hours.

5. Eat a breakfast with whole grains and protein. Think oatmeal with berries and almonds or walnuts, scrambled eggs with whole grain toast, a smoothie made with bananas, peanut butter, skim milk and a scoop of protein powder. Even last night's leftovers will do. Do not skip this meal!

6. In the parking lot, choose a space that is not right outside the doors of the mall, yet within a safe walking distance.

7. If you plan to wait in line outside before a store opens, chances are, it's going to be cold. Stand up tall and march in place, engaging your abs. An hour is a long time to wait in line and a great way to torque some extra calories from the night before. If you're worried about people staring at you, think to yourself, they also got up at 3 a.m. to wait in the dark outside a closed mall. Who's crazy now?

8. Put your purchases in the large, cloth totes and your back pack. Once they are filled, walk as briskly as you can to the car and unload your purchases. Walk as quickly as you can back to the mall. 

9. Take the stairs and escalators whenever possible. No one ever uses the stairs in department stores or at the mall. Not only will you beat the crowd who is waiting for the elevator that stops at each level, you'll create more energy so you can high tail it to the next errand on your list.

10. About four or five hours into your shopping adventure, or any earlier, avoid the long lines at the food court and walk briskly to your car for a picnic. This is where parking a little further away helps. No one will bother you for your parking spot if it is not convenient. If there is a parking space bully, grab your lunch from the car, walk briskly back to the mall and find a bench inside to continue your picnic.

11. Who knows, you may have saved enough time by following these tips that you'll have enough time to hit the gym or go for a walk when you get home. If not, you'll have burned at least 300 calories marching and standing in line, climbing stairs and walking back and forth from the car while carrying weights(your filled reusable bags).