If you’re like 90% of the people I know this time of year, you’re busier than ever. You want to stay fit over the Holidays, but the idea of fitting a simple workout routine in with travel, work deadlines, and all those Christmas parties seems daunting.
However, your fitness doesn’t have to get put on hold until the New Year. Your workout habits and Holiday fitness goals just need some tweaks to fit in your life a bit easier.
Today, I’m sharing FIVE powerful fitness hacks I used to accomplish a 100-day exercise streak that helps me stay fit and sane.
These strategies are quick and straightforward!
Use My 5 Holiday Fitness Hacks To:
- Improve Your Mood
- Lower Stress
- Reduce aches and pains from desk work & traveling
- Set the foundation for your 2022 fitness success
- Stay fit and sane 😉
1. Stay Fit with Simplicity
If you have big New Years’ fitness goals, think of December as a time to set the foundation for kickass-ery!
If you’ve been pretty active until recently and now life is getting Holi-daze Hectic, think of this month as hitting the “maintenance mode” button on your fitness.
Just 10-15 minutes of mobility and bodyweight exercise daily is enough to lower stress, keep you mobile, and create a new healthy habit.
You don’t need a fancy gym membership or a bunch of expensive equipment to create a workout routine.
If you want to maintain your strength and fitness, I suggest at-home, travel-friendly simple, workouts with a combination of a TRX, a pack of mini bands or handle resistance bands, and maybe a kettlebell.
2. REALLY REALISTIC HOLIDAY FITNESS GOALS
Make the goal completion and momentum by starting with small achievable actions!
My goal of at least 10 mins of simple workouts focused on mobility and bodyweight exercise allowed me to achieve 100 days in a row of fitness! On most days, I clocked in around 30 minutes but keeping the action small was KEY!
It will be much easier to complete 30-45 minute workouts each week in the future when you’re already in the habit of showing up for yourself with short ones.
Two Bonus Ideas for Achievable Holiday Fitness Goals:
- Complete two TRX* & resistance band exercise supersets three times per week.
- Prep overnight oats Sunday-Thursday before bed for a healthy breakfast to go.
3. STACK SMALL HABITS
An almost effortless action I used to nail my workout routine streak was to set my yoga mat on the living room floor right after making my coffee – this is called “Habit Stacking,” and I used it to trick my brain into forming the new habit.
Habit stacking is a hack that helps you create new healthy habits by pairing them with established ones.
Now, in my morning routine, I walk my coffee to the living and set my workout mat down. When properly caffeinated, I’m already in my exercise space – with fewer excuses to get moving!
To set yourself up for fitness success, think of small tasks you can easily pair with something you do habitually every day.
4. CELEBRATE SIMPLE WORKOUT WINS
At heart, we are all kids who love gold stars next to our name and getting taken out for a special treat when we get A’s on our report cards.
To stroke my inner-seven-year-old needs, I bought a small paper wall calendar like this one and marked “X” over the days I completed my new habit.
A simple visual reminder of workout routine progress (that’s not on your phone) is a great way to keep you focused and rewarded.
Then, each month when I get a full calendar of “X’s,” I celebrate by buying something nice for myself. 🙂
5. UP THE ACCOUNTABILITY STAKES
Often we need more to help us see a Holiday fitness goal to the finish than an accountability coach and a program to follow.
We need reasons to STRIVE for CHANGE that motivate us.
Having a coach or personal trainer has undoubtedly helped me stay on track over the years. However, for my 100-day exercise streak, I used an extra layer of accountability – friendly competition.
After one week of doing my daily stretching, I told my boyfriend I wanted to rack up 365 days in a row!
I’m not even sure why those words left my mouth!
To my outrageous claim, he replied, “yeah, right.”
His response isn’t harsh, I often come up with crazy ideas, and when people doubt me, I excel more. He knows how to meowtivate me 😉 His playful doubt was enough to spark a fire under my butt and get me to 100 days.
Today I’m 100% driven to get to 365 days just so I can say, “I told you so – and thank you.”
If you’re not motivated by a ridiculously stubborn ego like me, here’s a BONUS strategy to amp up your workout routine accountability…
6. Your Simple Workout Routine Holiday Fitness Challenge
Make a bet with your coworker, frenemy, significant other, or competitive friend.
- Winner = the 1st person to get to “X” number of days by a certain date
- Set clear rules & create accountability check-ins
- Make sure the person of your choosing is equally invested in the bet
- Make the prize something worth fighting for!
Example: The winner of the workout challenge is the first person to get to 21 workout days which include a minute minimum of 20 minutes of strength, cardio, or mobility exercise before January 1, 2022. Participants must check in 3 x weekly via texting their progress to their challenge partner. The prize is $1,000!
The specific terms of your challenge, you create with a partner, but make sure all the rules are clear and defined. Put it in writing and sign it if that helps you!
Want help building your ideal workout routine?
Stay healthy, strong, and active through the Holiday Season & beyond!
Each one of my online personal training programs is fully customized with built-in support and accountability.
I design workouts to help you stay consistent and on track to your goals through the Holidays and beyond!
Interested?
Fill out the inquiry form below and I’ll send you all the details. — x Roxy
