This is the BEST, MOST JOYOUS, yet CRAZIEST time of the year. If you thought you were busy before the holidays, brace for impact. It’s inevitable. Your personal, everyday self-care rituals will fall by the waistside to make room for gift shopping, festivities and the kids being off of school.
But this is the MOST IMPORTANT time of the year to save even just a few minutes a day for yourself.
Why?
First, your body still needs to move. Just because the holidays are in full swing doesn’t mean your body is okay with taking a back seat. In fact, it needs to move more than ever. I don’t think I need to remind you of the extra goodies you will be enjoying.
Listen, I am all for it. You should indulge. But when you workout, you have the tendency to indulge a little...rather than a lot. So do your body a favor and... Keep Moving!
Second, even though this is a special time of the year, it can also be a stressful time of the year.
Once again working out can help. It alleviates stress, clears your mind and really opens up your heart to thoroughly embrace all the positivity of the holidays.
So maintaining your fitness routine will make your body feel good and you get to have FUN during the holiday season guilt free.
Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Bonus: when New Years pops up, you will be ahead of the game.
3 Ways To Stay Fit For The Holidays
From now until the New Year begins there will be a major drop off in gym and group fitness attendance. The reality: time is tight and our energy is focused elsewhere during the holidays. But as I have mentioned before, I have made it my mission to keep you moving NO MATTER WHAT! So here are 3 different ways you can stay active and on track with your fitness routine during the next 4 weeks.
1. Make it a Game.
For every cookie you eat - do 20 squats
For every second helping - do a 1 minute plank
For every drink (that’s not water) - do 10 push-ups
For every party you go to, where you are already full on the apps before the dinner is even served - do 20 jumping jacks
You don’t have to do them right on the spot. I mean let’s get real, people might look at you funny if you start exercising in the middle of a dinner party. So to keep people from thinking you’ve gone off the deep end, make a mental note to yourself or schedule it in your phone for the next morning. It will take 2-5 minutes to do, but make you accountable. Gosh, I hate that word. It sounds so serious to me. So instead make it more playful by thinking of it as a game. Like, when I bride my kids to eat their veggies :)
2. Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People.
It's like picking a drinking buddy who's got your back but this time it's an ally who's a reflection of how you would like to keep the holiday season happy & healthy. No one needs to take your car keys, I mean the cookie out of your hand, or anything. Simply choose wisely who your hangin' with.
This does not mean you stalk the chick at the party who only eats the carrot sticks. It does mean find friends who know how to find a nice balance between being mindful as well as enjoying the celebrations.
3. Do the #ThankYourBody Challenge
I have set-up the #ThankYourBody Challenge to now be open through the New Year. If anything throws you off track, JBird is here to catch you.
It's FREE and you can sign-up HERE.
The Challenge gives you 7-days access to JBirdFitness.com. You can explore & play in the video library or simply go to the Challenge page where you can start the workout videos from Day #1 and work your way through to Day #7. The workouts are balanced between cardio, strength & flexibility and I promise once you have completed each 15 minute workout you will feel like you can take on the holidays with a smile on your face,
So raise your glass and let’s cheers to keeping our bodies moving from now through the New Year.
With Love,
Janine