Fitting Exercise Into a Busy Holiday Season
By: Sarah Whiteway
Tags: Fitness Tips, Healthy Living

We all know that making exercise a regular part of our life is a key component in leading a happy, healthy and long life. But sometimes it’s just hard to find the time to fit everything in, and regular exercise is abandoned in favor of other commitments. The holiday season, in particular the last couple of weeks of December is one of those busy times. Here I share four tips for how to fit exercise into a busy holiday schedule.

Set small achievable fitness goals.

This is a busy time of year and it might not be the best time to start training for a 5k or hitting the gym 5 times a week (or maybe it is– if so, more power to you!). Keep your goals for the rest of the month achievable. Maybe that’s going for a 20 minute walk every day or doing 10 pushups a day. Maybe it’s making it to your regular fitness class once over the holidays. Whatever it is, take a moment right now before the craziness of the holiday starts and figure out what is a doable fitness goal for you.

I’m traveling for the holidays so I know I won’t be able to make it to my regular fitness class at the gym. My goal is to hit 10 000 steps a day while I’m out of town. To make sure I’m prepared for heading out for walks in cold, snowy weather, I’m packing my hiking boots.

2. Schedule workout time, but be realistic.

This time of year is BUSY. Make a plan for when you can fit in some workouts or the weeks will fly by without you noticing that you’ve skipped your usual exercise. You might not have time for a full hour at the gym, plus time to get there and back, so think about trying some quick home workouts. There are fitness videos of every sort available for free online that require no equipment, make a plan to try some new ones before the end of the month. Or schedule 10 minutes each morning to do a quick set of body weight exercises. Or maybe you’d rather stick with some stretching before bed.

Which ever fitness goals you’ve set for yourself this holiday season, set aside 5 minutes today to think about when you can realistically fit in some workouts, Put them on your calendar now before you get overwhelmed with everything on your to do list.

I think I can manage a few early morning yoga or stretching sessions before my day gets taken over by family obligations. I’m setting myself reminders so that I go straight from getting out of bed to yoga time.

3. Get creative and include seasonal activities into your exercise plans.

While you might not feel tempted to leave your warm cozy home to go the gym, this time of year is perfect for all sorts of fun seasonal exercise. A day at the ski slope, an hour of playing hockey or climbing up the sledding hill over and over are all fun ways to get exercise even when your regular fitness routine is thrown off.

I’ve scheduled a day to go downhill skiing with my family while I’m off work for the holidays and I’m packing my skates and crossing my fingers that the weather cooperates with my plans.

4. Add physical activity to your social time.

This time of year is filled with social events. Suggest that some get togethers are focused around an activity instead of a meal. Taking a family walk to look at the lights or going skating or hiking with friends give you a chance to catch up with loved ones while also staying active. And as a bonus for this year, you can meet up outside and reduce the risk of spreading COVID.

My family and friends all love going for walks and I’m heading to an area that is very concerned with COVID right now. I don’t think I will have any trouble finding people to join me in bundling up and going for lots of walks. I’ll be able to meet my step goal and reconnect with all the friends and family I’ve been missing.

Finding ways to fit in some exercise and physical activity these next two weeks will lead you into the new year feeling healthier both mentally and physically. So set some goals, make a plan, and have fun!