‘Tis the season to stay in
shape! With the approaching holiday season, it’s easy to let fitness fall to
the bottom of your to-do list. Let me help you stay in shape by following my 8
best holiday fitness tips!
Do you fall out of all of
your good habits over the holiday season? Or do find yourself skipping your
workout and eating too many treats? If the answer is yes, today’s post is just
for you! I’m going to give you some helpful tips to keep the holiday pounds and
laziness at bay this holiday season.
It’s not easy to resist all
the treats that the holiday season brings. Squeezing in your exercise routine
over the next few weeks may feel more difficult than usual; especially as
your time gets consumed with the hectic holiday schedule that’s common during
this time of year. Dark mornings and cold evenings that many of you have to
contend with over the next few months may also contribute to your struggle to
find the fitness motivation that you need to keep up all of your hard work.
With the right program in place and proper planning, I’m sure you can maintain
your fitness levels and preserve your waistline this holiday season! Here are
some holiday fitness tips to follow while still enjoying time with the family
and the occasional sweet treat.
Holiday fitness tip 1: Schedule it all in advance
Rather than leaving your
schedule up to chance, be proactive and set aside dedicated time to hit the
gym. If you’re traveling, make sure your travel days are pre planned rest days,
and consider signing up for local classes at your destination. When something
is pre-planned, it’s much harder to just forget about it. Chances are, if you
don’t have an activity planned, you’ll opt for cozying on the couch instead.
Holiday fitness tip 2: Get a holiday training partner
Even if you love to work
out solo, consider buddying up over the next few weeks. The
holiday season is the perfect time to find a training partner and chances are
that you’re not the only one at work or at home who’ll benefit from some
friendly accountability over the coming few weeks. The percentage of people who
quit working out over the holidays because of other commitments is high. I
think that’s why the January guilt gym rush is such a busy one!
Holiday fitness tip 3: Take advantage of discounts
In the fitness world, the
holiday season is traditionally a quiet time and this means lots of discounts
can be found! At the gym, personal trainers often have attractive discount
packages available and boutique studios often offer free classes. Take the time
to look and see what free fitness activities are being offered near work
or in your community. The holiday season is the perfect time to try out a new
class and learn something new that may benefit you in the new year.
Holiday fitness tip 4: Cut down your workout time
I understand that the
holiday season is a busy time, so instead of cutting out your workout
altogether, consider decreasing your time commitment while increasing your
intensity level. At the end of your session, you may feel a little more tired
than usual but you would have saved time. Check out my article on HIIT training and see how you can
make the most out of what time you do have available.
Holiday fitness tip 5: Do a pre-meal workout
The mental side of weight
management is a great strategy to use over the holidays. I believe that if you
strive to do a workout prior to going to a party, there’s a good chance you
will watch what you eat at the buffet table. After a workout, the desire to eat
foods that are high in calories and bad for you tends to diminish. However, if
you go to a party with the attitude of ‘I will eat what I want because I will
work out later,’ you must keep in mind that you can’t out train a high calorie
diet! The amount of exercise you need to do in order to burn off just one
cookie will make you think twice.
Holiday fitness tip 6: Keep it simple
If you can’t find the
motivation to get into the gym or attend a fitness class during the holidays,
or if you honestly just love to break free from your typical fitness schedule, make
a decision to use walking as your go-to
activity. If you do nothing and eat more, you will gain unwanted body weight. You
must find some way to create balance. Find time at work to get in some walking
minutes, power walk on your shopping trips and do some before bed exercises
such as pushups, squats and crunches to keep your body as conditioned as
possible. When you’re considering having some indulgent foods, be aware of the
portion size that you’re consuming. Try to balance your other meals during the
day to accommodate your splurge.
Holiday fitness tip 7: Socialize over activity
My personal holiday time
consists of doing my favorite hike and enjoying a nice family bike ride. In
December, I get exhausted and sore muscles from hitting the ski slopes for a
week. I do appreciate that my personal idea of holiday fun is different than
many peoples because being active is my life and what makes me happy. The idea
of sitting around sounds like torture to me. Active events with family and
friends is a fun way to stay in shape and socialize.
Holiday fitness tip 8: Tools just for you
To make sure that ‘not
knowing what to do’ is not one of your excuses this winter, I created lots of
resources that you can use for ideas to keep moving. I just got started with a
new online fitness series. If you follow these fun
weekly workouts, you’ll have a head start on accomplishing next years fitness
goals! For occasional short workouts that you can do at home, my Fit
Tips routines
are just what you need. If you wish to put together your own perfect workout,
learn how by reading my previous posts right here.
Posted by: Samantha
Clayton, AFAA, ISSA. Samantha is Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife
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