6 Ways to Stick to Your Fitness Goals Over the Holidays
Sticking to your fitness habits over the holidays is tough work. When that kick back and take it easy vibe kicks in, the temptation to let your workouts and diet slide can seem overwhelming. But you don’t have to slide back over the December /January period. Here are six tips to keep you on track during the silly season.
Remember Your Goals
December is a great time to revisit your health and fitness goals. Remind yourself of the emotional underpinning for your fitness lifestyle choices. It may be that you want to provide a healthy example for your kids or to avoid Type 2 Diabetes. Let that goal fuel you to a commitment to stick to your goal over the holiday period.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal of your workouts will allow you to organize and structure your fitness lifestyle. It will also give you the opportunity to look back on where you have come from and reflect on the progress you have made. This will motivate you to continue making progress over the holidays.
A journal will allow you to know exactly what you are doing when you go in for a workout. That, in itself is a motivating factor, especially if you are holidaying in a new town or city. It will allow you to hit a new gym with determination and purpose.
In addition to benefiting your workouts, we also recommend journaling for mental health. Simply record your thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. Every week or so, check back over what you have written. Checking back on your past will help to inform your future.
Mix It Up
Keeping up a regular exercise routine through the holidays doesn’t mean that you have to keep to the same old routine that you have been doing year in and year out. Rather than heading off to the gym and leaving your family members to their own devices, why not involve them in an active past-time that will act as a substitute for your gym session?
If you are going to take in a gym session or two during the holidays, make it early in the day before the rest of the family get out of bed. If you’re in a new location, checking out a new gym can be a reinvigorating experience.
Be Organized
The more organized you are around your fitness training, the more likely you will be to do it. So, sit down and plan out your training days and times over the weeks of your holidays. Then, the night before your workout, pack your training bag and place it by the door. Lay out your workout clothing on the bed before going to bed if you plan on an early morning workout. Then in the morning on the way out the door, grab your water bottle.
An area of organization that often falls down over the holidays is nutrition. Using a weight loss app can be a great help. Our favorite is Zoom. We recommend checking out online Noom reviews.
Do It Anyway
No matter how self motivated we are, there will be times, especially during the holidays, when we just don’t feel like doing our scheduled workout. On these occasions tell yourself that you are just going to get in a nice, easy light workout. That will get you out the door. More often than not, when you get going, your innate self competition will kick in and you’ll end up having a great workout.
Plan a Break
Your year long training program should involve regular periods of rest. In fact, we suggest taking a full week off from your workouts every six to eight weeks. This will allow your mind and body to more fully recover and rejuvenate for your next round of training. So, when you are planning your yearly schedule, work it out so that your weeklong break occurs during the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
