We all know that the upcoming holidays can be quite a hectic and stressful time—dinner parties, family gatherings, cooking, and shopping. With everything that’s going on, it’s easy to lose focus on your health and fitness goals- what was once a main priority takes a back seat to the holiday season. Moreover, if you’ve been working towards shaving off a few pounds, these times can be especially difficult in terms of your nutritional intake. Therefore, we at Peak Performance Fitness decided to provide you all with some helpful tips on how to squeeze some exercise and physical activity in among the chaos that this holiday season might bring, whether you’ve recently begun an exercise program or are maintaining your progress.
- Set reminders. Whether you use your phone, tablet, computer, or even a pen and paper, setting reminders to exercise may be beneficial while your mind is preoccupied with other events.
- Write down you goals and how you plan on achieving them. I’m positive that the majority of you already have your fitness goals in mind, but by writing them down and visibly seeing them every day, the goals/ideas become solidified and you are constantly reminded of what you plan on achieving; whether it’s to build strength, lose weight, or become overall healthier and fitter.
- Prioritize. If you find yourself failing to make it to the fitness center or perform regular activity on a daily basis, it is most likely because you are putting other things ahead of your goals. What will probably help is to sit down alone, and readjust what’s most important to you—making your health and fitness one of your top priorities (which it should be) will help influence you to maintain a regular workout regimen.
- Make a schedule. Whatever modality you use to organize your life (calendar, phone, planner, etc.), plan out the next few weeks of exercise. Set a consistent time of the day in which you know you will be available on a weekly basis and designate it for exercise. Many people are more likely to do something if it becomes a normal part of a daily routine at a regular time.
- Home Workouts. If time is limited, speak to your exercise physiologist about developing a home-based workout regimen. For example, modified push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, shoulder presses, curls, lunges, and squats are examples of exercises you can do using minimal or no equipment without even stepping outside of your house. If your goals are weight-loss or to build up cardiovascular fitness, walking up and down the stairs, using a jump rope, or walking/jogging/bicycling around the neighborhood for a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day will certainly do the trick!
Although it’s easier said than done, do yourself a favor and do whatever it takes to fit regular exercise into your schedule. Whether you have to wake up an extra hour early before work, or get a workout in before bed, I guarantee you will be thanking yourself after for continuing your exercise program during the busy holiday season. Just ask yourself this question: “Would I rather not exercise because I am a little extra busy and yield no results, or would I rather give a little extra effort, make time for exercise, and reach my health and fitness goals?”
By Anthony Locast
