Stay fit and motivated this holiday season! Try these easy tips and tricks to keep your fitness and workouts on track all season long.
I can’t believe it’s November. I don’t know how that happened so fast. Admittedly, I love November. It’s my birthday month (which lasts all month thankyouverymuch), my husband’s birthday month (his only lasts for one day — by his choice) and yes — Thanksgiving! Basically, November is one giant party month for us. Wahoo!
Just because November is party month doesn’t mean I slack on the workouts, though. I still run, strength train, and I usually incorporate some yoga as well. If anything, November and December allow me to do new and different workouts since I’m not in heavy marathon training like other months of the year.
I’ve been asked how I stay fit and motivated through the holidays and for me, it’s easy. I don’t give myself a choice. But for others who maybe need a little extra motivation, I can certainly see how holidays could derail any well-planned workout regimen and leave them looking at ways to avoid holiday weight gain. To help YOU stay fit through the holidays, I’m sharing five tips to keep you motivated and on the right path.
5 Tips to Stay Fit Through the Holidays
1. Don’t use food as a reward or punishment.
It drives me completely batty when folks use food as a reward or punishment. I’ve done it myself and I know how easy it is to fall into this trap. But food is food. It shouldn’t be given a label as either good or bad.
When you begin treating food as a reward or punishment, especially during the holidays, you risk souring the mood. Instead, focus your energy on spending time with friends and family and just enjoy your meal.
2. Keep a workout schedule.
Keeping a workout schedule is a good idea any time of year. In fact, individuals on a schedule or plan have a much better chance at actually sticking to the plan and achieving their goals.
If you know life is going to get hectic around holiday time, write down your workout plans so you know what to expect for each day. If you write it down and plan ahead, you’re less likely to be derailed and more likely to stay fit.
3. Keep workouts simple.
A potentially stressful time of year is not the time to try new, complicated workouts. Stick to the ones that are tried-and-true so you can stay focused, get your sweat on, and get on with your day. New workouts can be intimidating or confusing, so keeping things as simple as possible is ideal.
4. Go for a run.
Running is by far one of the easiest and most effective ways to get your heart rate up, increase your mood, and encourage brain function — all vital components to a happy and healthy holiday season! If you’re not already a runner, something as simple as run/walk intervals for 20-30 minutes each day can work wonders. If you are a runner, choose a distance that’s challenging yet manageable in your allotted timeframe. For me, I would choose a 4-5 mile run to get my blood pumping and be a functioning, happy human.
5. Make fitness a family affair!
This is a big one and applies to those of you traveling for the holidays or hosting house guests. In both of these situations, it’s entirely too easy to get completely derailed from any sort of fitness regimen at all. If your sister-in-law never works out but you’re very close with her, encourage her to try out a simple bodyweight workout with you. You can easily find a bodyweight HIIT workout to do together. Likewise, if your dad runs one mile every morning, perhaps encourage him to run two miles with you instead of just one. Even kids can join in — have them do high knees, butt kickers, or burpees! By making fitness a family affair, you’ll stay fit and you’ll encourage others to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle, too. It’s a win-win!
Staying fit through the holidays doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. By keeping track of workouts, encouraging others to join you, and not using food as a reward/punishment system, you’ll be in a great position to stay fit all season long.
xo
Let’s talk!
What’s one tip or trick you use to stay motivated during the holidays?
Are you traveling or hosting houseguests this year?
Loading InLinkz ...
