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As the holidays draw near, many find themselves struggling to stay active and motivated to exercise. Therefore, they tend to put the breaks on or abandon their fitness routine altogether. Cold weather and dark mornings make it easy to get out of bed; add in the fact that everyone is depressed and it can feel impossible.
Tips for Staying Active and Exercising during the Holidays
Here are a few tips to help make staying active easier.
1) Get some exercise by cleaning your house
Do all the chores you usually have to pay other people to do, such as vacuuming and scrubbing the refrigerator, bending and crouching while folding clothes and taking them out of the dryer, and running up and down stairs while moving furniture or bringing in groceries. You'll be amazed at how much exercise you get from doing all that work.
2) Appropriate clothes for winter
It's easy to let a bad mood or the cold weather keep you from going outside.
Don't let the winter weather stop you from getting outside for a walk or run. Proper cold-weather clothing can help keep you warm and comfortable while you're active in the cold.
3) Use of workout app or device
To get moving, try downloading or watching an online video that will help you work out. Some of these may be especially helpful when you're traveling and staying in a hotel or with friends.
Use your favorite search engine or check with the app store for your mobile device to find apps and videos that inspire you.
4) Wearing the right footwear
You can get some exercise by walking in your comfortable shoes as much as you can. You can also put a casserole in the oven and go on a walk or jog while it's baking. Park your car farther away from where you're going and walk to your destination. Walk around the mall before you shop.
5) Get creative with home workout
Add weighted resistance to your workout by using common household items as substitutes for expensive equipment. For example, books or heavy items in a backpack can act as extra weight on squats, and water-filled containers work well as kettlebells or sliders. Adding weight to your routine helps you build lean muscle mass and burn fat more efficiently.
6) Motivational music track
Give yourself an extra boost to keep exercising by listening to new music. Download new tunes, trade playlists with a friend, or reshuffle your existing library to keep your workouts interesting. Even mix it up with holiday tunes!
7) Working out in groups
Encourage yourself to exercise by finding an exercise buddy. When you exercise with others, there’s some social pressure. Exercise partners can also provide social support, camaraderie and distraction from bad weather. There’s the additional benefit of making friends and hanging out with like-minded people.
8) Setting your favorite alarm tone
If you want to get out of bed in the morning, choose a song that will get you in the mood for the day. That’s when the race begins, so don’t hit the snooze button. If you give yourself a couple of options to snooze, you’ll usually end up choosing to stay warm and cozy in bed, especially if your options are to work out in the cold or not work out at all.
Wrapping Up
While exercising during the holidays can be a challenge, here are some simple ways to stay active and enjoy the holiday season with all its festive meals and gatherings. You can balance your healthy habits and the extra calories from the food you eat, making sure it all evens out in the end.
