8 Foolproof Tips to Stay Active During the Holidays

I split my pants at a New Years Eve party one year.

Rrrriiiipppppp.

Everyone saw. It was horridly embarrassing.

And do you know why my pants split? Go ahead, take one good guess…

Yup. Weight gain.

I’d gained weight during the holiday season. So much weight, that my pants refused to stay sewn shut. They rebelled.

So I rebelled the following year.

I learned how to stay active during the holidays (so my skinny jeans would never throw a fit at a New Year’s party again).

And it worked. I rarely gain weight during the holidays now!

Want to know how? Ok! I’m sharing my favorite holiday fitness hacks with you, to keep your rebel-pants at bay, and make January a much happier month for now on.

 

1.) Set a Goal

Setting a specific goal for the holidays helps you work towards something tangible.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Or hard. In fact, the best holiday goals are realistic and “easy” to achieve.

Maybe your holiday season fitness goal is to exercise for 30 minutes 4 times a week the whole season.

Or walk 20 minutes a day.

Or not gain weight by eating 1800 calories max a day (or whatever amount makes sense for your body) plus exercising 5 times a week.

All of these are good goals. Just set something and make a plan to achieve it!

 

2.) Schedule Exercise

I schedule exercise on my calendar like it’s a meeting or a doctor’s appointment.

It makes the activity more real to me. And then I’m less likely to skip it.

Also, blocking off time on your calendar reduces the risk of overbooking during times you want to exercise.

Another way this worked for me? For years, I worked out at the gym during my lunch break. I’d arrive at work 30 minutes early, then block off a full 60 minutes for the gym. It was amazing. I’d look forward to the break from work and never wanted to skip it!

 

RELATED: 10 Delightful Women’s Gifts Under $25 (prefect holiday gifts!)

 

3.) Exercise First Thing in the Morning

Ok, unexpected things sometimes come up during the day. It’s a fact.

A meeting gets scheduled at work.

Your kid gets sick and you have to go pick him/her up from daycare.

An old friend randomly asks you to grab a drink after work, and you can’t refuse.

You realize you forgot to buy a yankee swap gift for the holiday party tomorrow.

The point is, life is about expecting the unexpected – which is why I plan for that (especially around the holidays!), and exercise first thing in the morning.

Either wake up 30 minutes earlier, or swap out other tasks for later (like laundry, or Instagram-ing).

It works, I’ve done it!

 

4.) Be Creative

Holiday schedules sometimes require creativity. Especially after a missed workout.

Think outside the box. Doing something is better than doing nothing. 

Maybe you prefer to run, but you skipped your morning run today and hate running at night? Try a 20 minute HIIT video later instead.

Or maybe you missed your favorite pilates class at the gym? Try a yoga class instead.

There are so many quick, last-minute exercise alternatives to do in a pinch and stay active during the holidays. Here are my favorites:

• Quick at-home bodyweight exercises
• 10-Minute Abs Workout
• Fun Treadmill Workouts 
• Strength Training Moves (who doesn’t love a good squat once in a while?)

Those aren’t the only options (obviously), but are my go-to backups.

 

5.) Get an Accountability Buddy

The good news? This hack is SUPER easy.

The bad news? This hack is SO easy, people don’t realize how effective it is.

What’s an accountability buddy? Someone who helps hold you accountable to your pre-set holiday fitness goals 🙂 And maybe also  someone who also helps celebrate your excellent fitness season with a glass of wine at the end!

This buddy can be someone who works out with you, walks with you, or just texts/calls you every day to check in.

Why is this method so effective? Because no one likes disappointing a friend.

Ok, it’s more than that actually…

If I know someone else is also paying attention to my goals, I am 100% more likely to follow through. Because while I hate disappointing myself, but I hate when someone else knows I’m disappointing myself more.

 

6.) Join a Challenge

Need the competitiveness of a good old-fashioned challenge to keep you on track?

I hear ya. And so do many other people.

Personally, I’m a sucker for a 30 Day Plank Challenge, or 6 Week Running Streak challenge.

This one works similarly to the accountability partner method – if you commit to a challenge, especially with other participants, you’ll feel motivated to stay the course and finish the challenge. Thus by default, keeping exercise consistent and helping you stay active during the holidays.

 

7.) Sign Up for a Race

Ok, this one is for all you runners out there!

I’ve done this a THOUSAND times (slight exaggeration, but really, I do this ALL the time to trick myself into exercising consistently)…sign up for a race in December, January or February so you absolutely HAVE to train during the holidays. It’s a magic trick someone taught me once. And now I’m hooked.

This works especially well for longer races that require consistent training like a 10K, a 10 Miler, or a Half Marathon.

I live and die by my running training schedule when I’m training for a specific race. The methodical nature helps me feel prepared for the race on race day, and I’ll go to intense lengths to avoid missing important workouts.

Are you anything like that? Then trick yourself in the best possible way, and sign up for a post-holiday race!

 

NEED A RACE TRAINING PLAN? See free 5K, 10K, 10 Miler, Half Marathon & Marathon Training Plans

 

8.) Traveling During the Holiday? Prepare.

Holiday travel is brutal.

You’re on a tight schedule. Other people around you are cranky. There’s a lot of preparation that has to be done (gifts, food, packing, etc).

But use preparation to your advantage and prepare to exercise during holiday travel.

What does that mean, exactly?

It means:

• Bring the gear you need (workout clothes, running sneakers, yoga mat, etc) to do your preferred fitness activity
• Not able to do your preferred fitness activity? Bring resistance bands to do when you have 5 or 10 minutes to spare.
• Recruit others – Grab some family members and go for a walk. Or try a new fitness class together. Or pull up a 30 minute yoga sequence on YouTube and announce that class is starting for everyone in the house at the moment (which hopefully doesn’t result in everyone running out the front door…)

 

When All Else Fails…Take the Stairs.

Sometimes, doing something is better than doing nothing. I know I said this before, but it bears repeating.

Take this advice literally or figuratively.

The holidays are stressful and busy for a lot of people. And learning hacks to stay active during the holidays works much of the time…but not always.

So what should you do when planning and preparing don’t work?

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Walk the long way home.

Do laps around your office in between meetings.

Take the dog for an extra long walk.

Do lunges when you wake up on the way to the bathroom.

(Just do your best.)

Any of these things help you do something rather than nothing, and you’ll be surprised what a big difference “something” makes.

“Something” goes a long way in staying fit and active during busy the holiday season, and that helps us keep our sanity and hit our goals!

In addition to staying active, here are some tips on how to survive Thanksgiving on a diet too (it includes eating a lot of turkey!).

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

20 Inexpensive (Yet Amazing) Gifts for Runners

How to Build a Solid Running Base This Winter

The Best Cold Weather Running Gear (Everyone Needs for Winter Running)

 

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