Exercise Tips for the Holidays

Exercise Tips for the Holidays

Looking for some exercise tips for the holidays? Some load is better than none, and some of the best exercise tips are the simplest.

It’s the holiday season, which means spending time with loved ones, fun parties and traveling either interstate or abroad. The holiday season is a difficult time to stay on track with our exercise schedule. Furthermore, it can be tempting to let all our exercise routine go out the window.

Despite holidays being a busier time, we can find ways to change up our exercise schedule to keep us moving through the holidays. At the end of the day, some load is always better than none, and any opportunities for physical activity is valuable.

At the end of the day, the holidays aren’t about restricting yourself to the point where you can’t enjoy anything. Read on to find out more tips to help you change up your exercise schedule and staying on track with your fitness or training goals, without restricting yourself or missing out!

Pivotal Motion has some great exercise tips for you!

6 ways to maintain holiday fitness

You can use these strategies to change up your exercise schedule to stay active and fit while you enjoy the holidays, even if you’re traveling interstate or abroad. Even if you don’t exercise as much as you do during the rest of the year, getting some physical activity in will provide you heaps of benefits, including giving you energy, reduce stress and tension, as well as allowing you to indulge in more calories (yay!!!!)

1. PLAN AHEAD & SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS

Our schedules fill up FAST over the holiday season. And therefore it’s often hard staying consistent with training and exercising. It seems to be one of the first things we’re willing to drop so we have time for other activities. However, it’s more than possible to get everything done, have fun, AND get some exercise in. All you need is a little extra planning. This will likely keep you more committed and will make it a lot more difficult to make excuses when the time comes.

If you’re traveling, planning ahead can make all the difference. Take some time to figure out what your options are so you’re ready for anything. For example, finding out available gym access nearby where you’re staying, or plan simple workouts that don’t require much space or equipment. If you’re not a fan of going to the gym, hiking or even walking are great exercise options too.

2. GET PREPARED

If you’re not sure about your schedule or whether you’ll even have time to get in a workout, then get prepared for when the opportunity comes!! That may mean exercising in the basement of your cousin or friend’s house with no equipment and only 10 or 15 minutes to yourself. Here are some quick tips for squeezing in a workout even if you have limited time to spare:

• Bring resistance bands: Resistance bands are great and convenient to bring along when traveling, as you can use them for multitude full-body exercises
• Have your running or walking shoes handy: You may find a 20-minute window when people are napping or before dinner for a quick walk or run.
• Prepare a workout plan: You can plan a 10- minute routine or circuit training, for example consisting of 3 sets of 3 exercises which you have to do 1 minute for each exercise.

3. SET SMALL GOALS OVER THE HOLIDAYS

It is helpful during this time to set smaller fitness goals to avoid burnout. For instance, you can shorten your usual workouts to under 30 minutes by doing circuit training, high intensity interval training (HIIT), supersetting your workouts, or splitting your workouts so you can work on multiple areas in a single routine and save some time.

Know that it’s okay to alter and be flexible with your routine to allow you to accommodate to the holiday season. This doesn’t mean that you will sabotage or lose your progress. See this as an opportunity to improve your training skill as experimentation and being adaptable to changes is what will prepare you for uncertain times.

4. MAKE IT A FAMILY ACTIVITY

If you are struggling to find the time to exercise and also spending time with your family, then make exercise a family activity. You can go on a hike with your family, do daily walks on the park or walking trail, or kick it up a notch and try a fitness class.

5. SET UP YOUR OWN HOME GYM

Having a mini home gym is ideal when you’re short on time and can’t get to your regular gym. You don’t need fancy equipment to have a great workout. You can do numerous exercise variations with even just dumbbells and a bench. If you’re out of exercise ideas, you can look up tons of videos on YouTube or Instagram.

6. TRY GROUP FITNESS

Group fitness classes are a great way to stay motivated, easy to plan and add to your schedule. You can book in for a  class or personal training session with a trainer if you are finding it hard to stay motivated on your own with your exercise routine.

The most important thing is to be realistic and go easy on yourself. Our schedule isn’t always predictable during the holidays so you can only do your best. Remind yourself that you can always get back to your routine after the busy season.

If you need any help with designing an exercise program or improve exercise technique, book an appointment with the leaders in physiotherapy Brisbane wide, Pivotal Motion Physiotherapy. Call on 07 3352 5116 or book online today.