7 Holiday Fitness Survival Tips

7 Holiday Fitness Survival Tips

The holiday season is here once again, for many this time of year is full of enjoyment, family get togethers, parties, and holiday shopping. All of which can make sticking with a fitness plan challenging, to say the least. It has been reported that the average person gains ten pounds this time of year, whether or not that is entirely true, we can all probably agree that it can be hard to not gain a few pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

That’s why we have put these seven “Holiday Fitness Survival Tips” together. If you’ve been getting to the gym regularly and made some progress over the past few months, the goal now is to maintain this progress over this next month.

So here are the tips…

#1. Set A Workout Goal

How many times do you plan to hit the gym this month? We recommend making a goal of two times per week. This will ensure you maintain your progress until January when things get back to normal.

#2. Use Shorter Workouts

You don’t need to spend and hour in the gym to get a good workout. Instead, you can use 20 Minute AMRAP or EMOM Workouts, these stand for “As Many Rounds As Possible” and “Every Minute On The Minute”.

Here is a sample workout for each:

20-Minute AMRAP

Kettlebell Swing x 8 reps

Push Ups x 8 reps

Goblet Squat x 8 reps

TRX Row x 8 reps

Ab Wheel Roll x 8 reps

*Repeat for as many rounds as you can get in twenty minutes, keeping good form.

20-Minute EMOM

Kettlebell Farmer’s Carry x 25 yards

Kettlebell Alternating Cleans x 5 each

Med Ball Slams x 10 reps

Squat Jumps x 15 reps

DB Curl to Press x 10 reps

*Set a timers to beep every minute for 20-minutes. Perform four sets of each exercise before moving on. Perform the prescribed reps and then rest the remainder of the minute, then do the reps again at the top of the minute.

#3. Go Easy On The Booze

With two or three Christmas parties a week it is very easy to pack on a few additional pounds from alcohol alone. Not to mention all the junk food you will crave next day due to feeling a little under the weather. However, this doesn’t mean you have to be a “Tea Totaller” either, because after all where is the fun in that. But, there are a few things you can do to cut down your consumption

– Set a weekly drink goal. We’ve found that 4-6 drinks a week work well for most.

– Eat before you have your first drink. (Salad does not count as eating before you drink BTW.) Some protein, fat and carbs will be your best bet.

– Drink one glass of water between every couple drinks. This will slow down your alcohol consumption, keep you hydrated, and allow your body some time to process the alcohol. Also, if you’ve had enough for the night, but the party is still going strong ask the bartender to mix up a soda water with lime on the rocks. It will look like you’re still drinking, but tomorrow at work you will feel great while your co-workers are still recovering from one too many.

– Order your drinks straight up on the rocks. This will prevent you from consuming the extra sugar calories from the mixers.

– Drink what you enjoy. The difference between beer, hard liquor, and wine is minimal and if you’re going to drink, drink what you enjoy.

– Offer to be the DD. Someone has to drive home, so take a turn being the DD.

#4. Make Sleep A Priority

It is easy to skimp on sleep this time of year as things get busy, but your body needs seven t0 eight hours of sleep each night to function properly. And it needs this sleep even more when the stress is higher. Also, when we are regularly getting enough sleep we feel better, are in better moods, and make better food choices. All of which help prevent weight gain.

#5. Eat What You Want

No, not everyday. But on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and a party of two eat what you want. If there is a certain dish, appetizers, or dessert you love, go for it. If you are reasonable with your food choices the rest of the time you’ll be fine. It’s never the occasional indulgences, it’s when the indulgences are a daily lifestyle that it becomes a problem.

#6. Workout Effectively

Time is an issue more than ever during the holidays so you need to get the most bang for your buck when working out. Research has shown that over a 12-week period weight training resulted in 6 pounds more fat loss that aerobic training. So hit the weights for 30-45 minutes two times a week and you might find yourself leaner by New Year’s.

#7. Relax

Enjoy this time of year and stop stressing about everything you have to do. No one cares if the presents aren’t wrapped perfectly, or if your house is decorated just so. People really just care about being around the ones they enjoy and love. So slow down, stop stressing, and enjoy this time of year. Daily meditation for 1-10 minutes or a short yoga flow using the “Yoga” app can help but, so can watching 30-minutes of Christmas movies each night, reading a book, sitting by the fireplace, or how about just enjoying how pretty your house looks decorated and being grateful for how much you have.

Put these tips into place and you’ll be ready to get back to your regular routine come January 1st without having to make up for lost ground.

If you are looking to get started with a fitness plan check out our 30-Day Personal Training Experience…

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