Once the days turn shorter and the temperatures drop, it can be doubly difficult to fit in a workout—there actually seem to be fewer hours in the day. Then you add in the holidays, with gatherings of family and friends, shopping, decorating and probably extra cooking, and before you know it two months have gone by in the blink of an eye with nary a yoga class to show for it. Trying to Sneak in a workout during your busy holiday or keeping up your regular workout routine may be the last thing on your agenda, but exercise may be just what you need to power through and keep your stress level in check.
Odds are you will be short on time. So if you typically workout five days a week, reducing that amount to three during the holidays won’t be the end of the world. If you are a morning workout person, but late night gatherings are making it hard for you to get up with the sun, consider slotting in a workout during your lunch break. Flexibility is key.
While Traveling During The Holiday Season Consider Packing Your Workout
If you will be traveling during the holidays, it is still possible to get in a workout, no matter what the weather outside is. You can pack exercise bands or a jump rope for an indoor workout, good walking shoes if you are able to get outdoors or a swimsuit if you are staying at a hotel with an indoor lap pool. Even climbing flights of stairs at a hotel is a great way to keep some activity in your routine during the holiday hustle and bustle.
During the busy holiday season, even a shortened workout is better than no workout at all. Tabata would be an excellent thing to try when time is of the essence. In case you aren’t familiar, a Tabata workout is comprised of four sets of one exercise, each only four minutes long. Sounds easy, right? Well think again. The workout is broken into eight rounds with 20 seconds of maximum effort work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Exercises to consider include squats, push-ups, burpees, mountain climbers or any other exercise that works your large muscle groups.
Say you start with burpees. You do 20 seconds of burpees at your maximum intensity, and then rest for 10 seconds. Keep doing this for a total of eight rounds. Rest for one minute before you move on to your next exercise, until you have completed all four exercises. Workout done!
Need some help? Talk to a SHAPES Personal Trainer and have them set up a workout schedule that you can manage during the busy holiday season.