The holidays are here! It’s time for friends, family, and food. But how can you keep your fitness on track this season? Who wants to be at the gym all the time during the holidays? Not me! This expert has some easy tips to help you stay fit during this festive season.
It’s the time to be happy, thankful, and, let’s be honest, probably stuffed with delicious food! Some fitness enthusiasts don’t enjoy the holidays as it can throw off their workout routines. Depending on where you live, the gyms might be closed because of heavy snow, the weather could be too harsh for your usual outdoor run, or you might not have access to the food you’re used to.
What’s more, the sudden increase in parties, and late-night eating and drinking can sabotage your fitness goals. But don’t worry! Here are 5 effective ways to stay fit and strong during the holidays.
First, make a plan. If you don’t plan, you’re planning to fail. Write down all your holiday activities and find an hour or two for your fitness routine. It could be a quick 20-minute HIIT workout between shopping and decorating or hitting the gym right after work and before a late-night party. Stick to your schedule as much as you can. If one day is too busy, make it your rest day. Recovery days are important too, as your muscles need to rest.
Most people like to work out in the afternoon or after work, but this might be tough during the holidays since the gyms might close early or friends might want to go out. You might need to change your workout time, possibly getting up earlier than usual. It’s hard, especially with the cold weather and cozy bed, but finishing your workout early in the day gives you more time for other activities.
If you usually drive to the gym, expect traffic to be worse if it’s snowing heavily. If you’re stuck driving instead of working out, don’t stress. There are plenty of effective bodyweight exercises you can do at home, like push-ups, squats, and burpees. These exercises have many variations and can be just as challenging as lifting weights.
Focus on volume training if you have to work out at home. This means doing more reps to make up for the lack of heavy weights. Volume training builds endurance and stamina, which is great for activities requiring lots of energy. It can help you go further in your runs or add an extra rep before reaching exhaustion.
Lastly, it’s almost impossible to avoid indulgent foods during the holidays—cupcakes, cookies, chocolates, and more. While it’s the season to indulge a bit, exercise some restraint. Diet pills are an option, but it’s smarter and cheaper to have some rules in mind to manage your eating.
The holidays are all about joy and gratitude. Do yourself a favor and keep your body happy and healthy. Enjoy the season, stay fit, and happy holidays, everyone!
