5 Tips to Keeping Up With Your Fitness During the Holidays

This time of year can be overwhelming.  Let’s face it… all of a sudden it’s December 1st and if you have any special celebrations or festivals this month… Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and so on… it all comes upon you very quickly.  The thought of organizing special meals, buying gifts, attending parties, and work or school functions can sometimes take precedence over self care and exercise routines. 

How to manage it all?  Take a deep breath and and think about it….

1.  Schedule your workouts into your calendar along with your dates and parties.  You are less likely to schedule other activities in that same time slot.  And, if you see it written down you are more likely to actually do it because you have made time for it.

2. Get rid of that ‘all or nothing’ attitude.  One or two shorter strength workouts is ulitmately better that just abandoning them altogether.  Be content with shorter runs.

3. Add some exercise to your holiday activities.  Instead of driving around to look at Christmas lights in your area, get your family into their coats and boots and mittens, and explore on foot.  It is a great, fun way to spend some time together.

4.  Simplify your routine.  Instead of doing 8 exercises, just do 3 – perhaps pushups, squats, and plank holds. These work the biggest muscles and can be done in a shorter amount of time.

5. Join an online fitness challenge. There are many of them going around right now.  I signed up for fitknitchick’s Re-Boot Bootcamp this year and am looking forward to the accountability and ‘underwhelming’ workouts that Tamara has promised.

How do you stay active and keep up with your fitness routines during this busy season?