Whether you are a fitness buff or someone who has just started exercising, you know how tough it can be during the holiday season. With so much good food, offers to attend party after party, and temptation around every corner, many people see their fitness routines fall by the wayside from Thanksgiving through Christmas. However, you’re not going to be one of those people. If you are determined to maintain your fitness routine during the holiday season, here are six ways to do so that will leave you in great shape come New Year’s Day.
Make it a Priority
If you want to stay fit over the holidays, you will need to make it a top priority in your life. Whether you have to get up a bit earlier now and then before going to work to get in your workout or make other sacrifices, doing so will be well worth the extra effort when you look at yourself in the mirror once the holidays are over with until next year.
Vary Your Workouts
To make sure you don’t become bored and a bit complacent over the holidays, try various workouts to keep your routine interesting. For example, if you’ve been lifting weights quite a bit, take a break and instead try some yoga or Pilates. Also, if the weather allows it, try some brisk walks or bike rides early in the morning or after dinner in the evening.
Get Fit with Your Chores
Should you find your schedule is getting too busy to get in the workouts you want on certain days, incorporate your fitness routine into your household chores. For example, if you are cooking or cleaning, you can burn more calories than expected by doing a few jumping jacks or jogging in place while waiting for something to finish cooking. Also, if you’re shoveling snow, this can be a great aerobic workout, so long as you remember to take a break now and then when needed.
Have a Workout Buddy
Even if you’re in the midst of the current pandemic, you can still get together with a workout buddy to keep you motivated. So long as you social distance and use common sense, you’ll have someone with you who can push you to your fitness limits and keep you inspired to be at your best each and every time. Whether it is your best friend, a family member, or maybe a coworker, having a buddy with you while you’re lifting, running, walking, or doing anything else will make even the toughest of workouts more productive and enjoyable.
Remember the Reason for Getting Started
If you start having difficulty working out over the holidays, take a moment and remember why you wanted to get in better shape in the first place. By doing so, you’ll be able to reset physically and emotionally, enabling you to get back on track. Whether you’re wanting to slip into a new outfit and need to lose a few pounds, want to set a good example for your kids, or perhaps decided to get fit to help you better manage your overall health, remembering the reason you’re making this extra effort may be just what you need.
Monitor Your Progress
Perhaps one of the best tips of all for anyone wanting to get fit, monitoring your progress and keeping records of your achievements can be a great way to stay motivated over the holidays. To do so, you can keep a journal about your experiences as you get fit, do regular weigh-ins to see how many pounds you’ve dropped, or use your smartphone to make videos of yourself as you gain more muscle and lose the fat.
While it may be easier to give in to temptation and have that extra piece of cake or second helping of sweet potatoes, sticking to your fitness routine will in the end be much more rewarding.
