Celebration Moves
How to Stay Active During the Holidays
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Whether or not you’re traveling for the holidays, the break in routine can wreak havoc on your exercise routine.
But it doesn’t have to.
Some trainers and coaches might tell you to watch what you eat, pack your exercise equipment, and take time away from your loved ones to focus on sticking with your fitness plan. They might tell you to stick to the plan at all costs because that’s the only way to reach your fitness goals.
While I do enjoy taking the occasional break from my loved ones to recharge during the holidays, my advice on staying active during this busy time of year is way different.
I believe it’s possible to enjoy the holiday season, stay flexible in the wake of inevitable changes in routine, and still prioritize your fitness.
Move Your Mind
The first step to staying active during the holidays is to recognize that physical activity can happen apart from exercise.
Opportunities for movement surround us all the time—no gym required.
Physical activities like raking the leaves, chasing your child, scrubbing the bathtub, and carrying groceries are all examples of non-exercise movement that can end up “giving you a workout.”
If traveling or other holiday commitments keep you from hitting the gym, rest easy. By seeking out opportunities for non-exercise movement, you can still stay active away from the gym.
[Keep reading for tips on adapting your workout routine during the holidays.]
“But if I don’t workout, I’ll get fat!”
Note: As a thin white woman, I don’t have a huge platform to stand on when I speak about fat phobia and body positivity. I recognize I’m speaking from a place of privilege and I am choosing my words with great care.
Changes to our eating and exercise habits can sometimes result in changes to our body composition.
But fitness doesn’t have anything to do with how you look. Fitness can look like…
Being able to execute your daily tasks
Being able to accomplish less frequent tasks
Getting adequate rest
Being resilient in body and mind to overcome life’s challenges
Being flexible in the midst of change
Feeling at home in your body
Try focusing on how your body feels instead of how your body looks.
Listen, I don’t love the way my body looks all the time. And I notice when my body composition changes. Weight stigma and fat phobia run deep in our culture and I try to meet myself with a great deal of awareness, curiosity, and self-compassion so that I can root it out.
Two things affirmations I use to help me re-pattern my thinking are:
My body is the least interesting thing about me.
I am worthy, even as my body changes.
If you’re a person who worries about gaining weight during the holidays, I hope these ideas inspire you to dig deep and learn more about the harmful effects of weight stigma and fat phobia, both at the individual level and the cultural/societal level. That way, you can approach changes in your eating and exercise habits with more flexibility and self-compassion.
How to Adapt Your Workout During the Holidays
If you like to workout at the gym or with weights…
Before you travel, research gyms in the area you’ll be staying. You might be able to get a day pass or two to fill in the gap while you’re out of town.
Ask your family members if they have any home gym equipment or know someone who does. Who knows, you might get to enjoy a family workout!
Try a workout with easy-to-pack resistance bands.
Maintain the intensity of your workout even without your weights by tweaking your reps, speed, and rest. Try adding more reps with less rest time in between sets. Switch up your speed: try slowing down the eccentric phase of your exercise (for a pushup or a squat that would be the phase in which your body lowers toward the ground).
If you’re into group fitness classes or working out with a trainer…
Research fitness studios and reserve classes before you go. Don’t forget to check the cancellation policy!
Stream a class on YouTube.
If you’re a runner…
Pack your running shoes.
Ask your family members for tips on local running trails.
If you’re open to cross-training…
The change in routine can be a great opportunity to cross-train your normal workout. If you normally hit the gym, try streaming a class instead. If you’re a runner, look up some resistance band exercises to try.
If you workout to manage aches and pains…
Pack a therapy ball or two in case your back or neck starts to feel cranky from a long flight or car ride or from sleeping in a different bed.
Look up some self-massage techniques to keep your body feeling loose.
If you’re into yoga…
Pack a travel mat (I use this one).
Because yoga involves many of the same poses, it can be easy to string together your own flow. If you like the guidance of a teacher, do a yoga video search on YouTube.
Despite keeping these tips in mind, you still might not be able to fit in a dedicated workout. Don’t worry—it’s going to be okay!
Remember that opportunities for movement surround you all the time—no workout required. Holiday celebrations actually offer so many opportunities for moving and connecting with your loved ones.
Here’s my “non-exercise” tips for staying active this holiday season:
Party Planning On the Move
Make planning for the holiday meal a mobile activity. On a walk with your family you can talk about everyone’s favorite dishes and create the menu. You can also make a plan for what other fun activities or traditions you want to include in the celebration.
Decor
Take a walk to gather natural items to make your celebration space beautiful and festive. Bring a basket to collect your treasures and assemble a centerpiece or other decorative features when you return. This is a great opportunity for kids to get involved and get moving.
If possible, have your celebration outside. Most of our celebrations are tied to the seasons and other natural occurrences so it makes sense to party outdoors. The added bonus? You don’t have to stress about cleaning your house.
It might feel the opposite of cozy to have a winter celebration meal outside but perhaps you could have hot cocoa or cider around a fire. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Short periods of outside time are better than none!
Food Prep
Let’s leave the days of one person shouldering the menu in the past. Give everyone a job. Even family members who claim they can’t cook can open a bottle of wine or peel a carrot.
If you’re able, try to do the peeling, chopping, grating, whipping, and mashing by hand. Your body is a powerful food processor. You’ll be surprised how tired your arms can get while grating cheese!
If older family members have movement restrictions that keep them from helping with the food prep, set them up in the kitchen and invite them to share stories from holidays past. This can be a great opportunity to help family members (and especially kids) understand the origins and meanings of your family’s holidays and traditions.
And speaking of kids…they can also get involved by setting the table, filling water glasses, and mashing the potatoes!
Fun
While the meal might be the centerpiece of your holiday celebration, there’s probably also room for some added fun (and added movement).
Here’s some ideas to get you moving:
Have a family dance party.
Play a family game of freeze tag, basketball, or football.
Take a hike together.
Take a post dinner walk.
Jump rope.
Have a nerf gun battle.
Do a holiday-themed scavenger hunt.
Head to a Christmas tree farm to cut down your own tree.
Get crafty together (even small movements matter!).
Helping
Are you visiting or staying with older relatives? See if they need any help around the house like raking the leaves or changing their smoke detector batteries. No movement is too small to count!
Get everyone involved in the clean up after a meal or gathering. Do [some of] the dishes by hand. Sweep the floor, wipe the table—all those movements matter.
Conclusion
The busyness and travel surrounding the winter holidays can certainly throw a wrench in your fitness routine. While there are solid reasons to try to stick to your normal workouts during the holidays, it’s also okay not to. You’ll get back to it when things slow down. By keeping an open mind and seeking out opportunities for non-exercise movements, you can still stay active and connected with your loved ones.
