Sticking with an exercise routine throughout the holiday season may seem difficult as the weather gets cold and holiday festivities begin. These expert tips can help you stay on track with your exercise routine through the winter holidays.
Being physically active on a consistent basis can be challenging. Countless obstacles can arise that disrupt good intentions and best laid plans, from illness and injury to family obligations and dropping temperatures. Motivation can also be unpredictable, meaning that weeks of consistency can fall by the wayside when life gets in the way and sends your focus elsewhere.
The challenge to stay active is heightened for many of us during the holiday season, as we travel to see family or host visitors in our homes. Additionally, schedules are often disrupted by holiday gatherings, time off from work and children home from school. If you’ve been stopping by the gym every day after work or going for walks after dropping your kids off at school, how will you keep up with that physical-activity regimen when your daily routine changes?
How to Stay Active During the Holidays
Consider these six tips for making physical activity a regular part of your lifestyle over the long term, through the holidays and beyond.
Find something you enjoy.
This is the first rule of any sustainable exercise routine. If your workout feels like just another chore on your to-do list, it’s going to be difficult to stick with over the long haul. Instead, be creative in finding types of physical activity you enjoy.
If 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym feels like a chore (not to mention the drive to and from the facility), take your workout outdoors and try hiking or walking in your neighborhood. Dance. Garden. Ride bikes with your kids. Take a yoga class online. Join a recreational sports league. All of these count as physical activity, and even small amounts add up. Find what you enjoy and find ways to do it more often.
Make it a priority.
Most of us are managing countless responsibilities every day, so it’s vital to treat physical activity as an important part of your day. Put it on your schedule, just as you would a business meeting or doctor’s appointment. And, let others know when you’ll be busy exercising and how they can help you find the time to do so. Having the support of those people in your everyday life – from family members to coworkers – is an essential element of success.
Lifelong Exercise Habits
True lifestyle change involves taking a long-term view of your health and wellness. No one is perfect day-to-day, week-to-week or month-to-month. Whether it’s a change in jobs, a cross-country move or simply a two-week visit from your mother-in-law over the holidays, things will disrupt your routine and force you to find new ways to be active.
The good news is, those disruptions can serve as opportunities to add variety to your workouts and move in new ways. So, be forgiving towards yourself if the holiday season means you are exercising a bit less often or less intensely. Just find ways to keep moving and then get back on track as soon as you can.