It’s easy to let the holidays be an excuse to let our fitness goals fall by the wayside. We work so hard to get in shape for Summer every year, only to let all our hard work disappear at the first site of pumpkin spice lattes and stuffing. There’s no reason we can’t enjoy the perks of the holidays without letting our fit bodies go away! Here are 7 great ways to stay fit during the holiday season!
Come Up With a Plan – Oftentimes during the holidays, our schedules get jam-packed with trips, family get-togethers, parties, work events and other things that can make it tough to get our workouts done. Instead of winging it and hoping for some free time to pop-up for exercising, try planning out your schedule in advance. For example, if you know on Friday you have to work during the day and have a party to attend later in the evening (and you’d rather not get all sweaty and have to redo your hair and makeup before), then aim to get your workout out of the way in the morning instead!
Pair Up – A fun and easy way to stay accountable is to enlist a friend in your fitness endeavor! Even if you aren’t able to make it to the gym together regularly, you can still keep in touch through texts, emails, phone calls and social media. I personally have found that checking in with fellow fit friends keeps me motivated. Having someone rallying behind you and having someone else you want to inspire will make you much more likely to stay active during the holiday season!
Keep Liquid Calories in Mind – Besides delicious food, the holidays often bring about lots of festive cocktails and endless champagne. Unfortunately, these liquid treats can carry a lot of excess sugar and calories. You don’t have to avoid the drinks entirely (It’s the holidays and you SHOULD enjoy them!) Celebrate in moderation… try limiting it to 1-2 drinks to cut down on those extra calories! If you do wind up overdoing it, check out my article: How to Detox After a Weekend of Partying!
Download an App or Invest in a Tracker – There are so many great apps on smart phones now for health and fitness. There are also some great trackers available to help you reach your goals. I’ve been using one called the Fitbit Flex. It’s one of the less expensive models of the Fitbit but it works great. It tracks how many calories you’ve burned, distance traveled and how many steps you take. You can also track your sleep!
Get the Family Involved – This is the perfect season to include your family in your fitness journey. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym with all of your aunts, uncles and cousins! But arranging for a family football game at the park, a snowball fight or a 5k for charity is a great way to bring everyone together and still get active! It’s also a great way to create happy memories with one another. (Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?)
Find Workouts You Can Do From Home – I don’t always have time to go to the gym, especially when I’m traveling or spending a lot of time with friends and family. I’m sure you all can relate! A great way to get your workout in without having to worry about commute time and other time-related factors is to simply exercise at home! YouTube is jam-packed with home-workout videos. I also have several home-workouts available on my website… as well as my Bikini Body Program. The program also comes with nutrition guidelines, grocery list, supplement tips and lots of helpful articles like “Tips to Avoid Bloating” and “Tips for Eating at Restaurants”.
Moderation Not Deprivation – It’s tempting on Thanksgiving day to avoid eating anything until the big meal… however this can seriously backfire. By the time you arrive to your Thanksgiving day event, you will likely be absolutely ravenous. This can cause you to overeat and feel sick afterward. Some people even find that going without eating for too many hours can make it harder to stomach a large amount of food. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying the home-cooked fare your friends and family have prepared, you can do so in moderation and still enjoy yourself. Aim to eat a light breakfast (such as eggs and sautéed onions and bell peppers) and a light lunch (like a piece of sautéed or baked fish and a spinach salad with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar). That way you will be able to enjoy all the delicious food, without feeling like you need to devour everything in sight to have your fill!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!! I’d love to interact with you guys and keep up with all your fitness journeys! – Instagram – @muffintopless – Facebook – Muffin Topless – Twitter – @MuffinTop_Less – Tumblr – MuffinTop-Less
More Articles You Might Enjoy:
Home-workout Bikini Body Program
I Choose Happy, Healthy and Fit
Time Crunch Home-Workout
Rainy Day Home-Workout
Do-Anywhere Plyometric Workout
Weight-Lifting Fit Body Program
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Fitbit through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Fitbit, all opinions are my own.
Always check with a doctor before starting any new exercise program.
Drink responsibly and always designate a sober driver!