How to Stay Fit During the Holidays: 7 Game Changing Tips

It’s hard to believe we are coming up on the last few months of the year already. But as the weather changes and sun starts to set earlier, it’s hard to deny it: the holiday season is approaching. For many, the holidays signal a time to indulge, splurge, and let their fitness go.

However, it is still possible to stay fit during the holidays.

The thought of maintaining fitness feels nearly impossible as delicious treats and comfort foods pop up more and more each week. As the temperature drops and the hours of daylight lessen, finding the motivation to stay active and workout begins to feel more challenging.

Staying fit during the holiday season might involve a different strategy than it does throughout the rest of the year, but is certainly still possible.

These 7 tips will help you stay fit during the holidays while still enjoying everything the season has to offer.

How to Stay Fit During the Holidays: 7 Game-Changing Tips

Prioritize your fitness.

Prioritizing is a secret weapon for staying fit during the holiday season. No matter how enjoyable holiday activities may be, they still take up quite a bit of time. All of the extra activities make completing regular tasks and errands feel even more challenging than before.

During the holidays, it’s important to prioritize the activities that are most important to you – such as fitness and health. Prioritizing staying fit doesn’t mean you won’t have time for your usual holiday activities, it just means that you’ll have to intentionally make time for workouts during the busy holiday season.

Spend some time planning your schedule at the beginning of each week and day. Some days might be busier than others, meaning that you’ll have to adjust your schedule to make time for fitness. Accept the fact that the holiday season means life is a little busier, but know that making time to stay fit will help you enjoy this time of year feeling healthy and confident.

Be realistic with your fitness goals. 

Staying fit during the holiday season might look a bit different than it does in the summer or simpler times of year. Being realistic about your fitness goals this time of year will help you stay motivated throughout the winter and busy season.

Understand that many days will be packed with extra family gatherings, holiday activities, and plenty of social events. This season may not be the best time to start training for a brand new PR or challenging yourself to lose the most weight, but it is certainly still possible to stay fit during the holidays.

Being realistic with your fitness goals provides you with the confidence you need to be able to accomplish them, and enjoy the entire season without guilt. Finding balance is key to staying fit during the holidays.

Plan your fitness ahead of time.

Whether you celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or all of the above, the holiday season is likely one of your busiest times each year. And when things get busy, many people unintentionally place their fitness on the back-burner as they begin to feel overwhelmed.

Planning your fitness activities and workouts ahead of time can help minimize those overwhelmed feelings so you feel prepared at the start of each day. Plan your weekly activities ahead of time, and adjust your workouts accordingly.

Schedule in hard workouts, trips to the gym, recovery sessions and even rest days. Having a plan in place each day can help you easily maintain fitness throughout the holiday season.

Find like-minded friends.

It is so hard to turn down a sweet treat or holiday beverage when you are out with a group of people who are treating themselves. Surrounding yourself with friends who have similar goals and mindsets can be a game changer this time of year.

While it’s certainly okay to treat yourself every once and a while (especially during the holidays!), it’s important to enjoy everything in moderation. Staying fit during the holidays means making healthy choices, which may not be the same as what everyone around you is doing.

Surround yourself with friends and family members who are working towards similar health and fitness goals. If that isn’t possible, find a friend that you can regularly check in with to keep you accountable and motivated to stay fit this season.

Don’t skimp on water.

With so many delicious drink options and yummy treats this time of year, it can be easy to fill yourself with sugary beverages all day long and pass on the water. However, no matter how much liquid you consume, it’s still important to maintain a consistent water intake.

Staying hydrated is a simple way to keep your mind fresh and body energized each day. Drinking water on a regular basis is important, but especially during the holiday season.

A simple way to help stay fit during the holidays is to keep water easily accessible and nearby at all times – such as by using a water bottle. Take it with you when you go shopping, to a party, or travel. Remind yourself to drink water each day, regardless of any other delicious beverages you enjoy throughout the season.

Relax and enjoy the season.

It may sound counterintuitive, but another way to help yourself stay fit during the holiday season is to relax. Maintaining a healthy, fitness lifestyle involves so much more than just completing intense workouts and eating healthy foods.

A great deal of staying fit involves relaxing and avoiding stress – and what better time to do so than during the holiday season. Prioritize and plan your workouts, but when they’re over, sit back and relax.

Enjoy all of the activities the holiday season has to offer. Spend time with your family, focus on those around you, and cozy up indoors by the fire. Indulging in these types of activities will keep your soul happy, freshen your mind, and help rejuvenate you for the year to come.

Enjoy everything in moderation. 

A simple motto for the holiday season is to enjoy everything in moderation. Staying fit during the holidays can feel especially challenging with all of the temptations, colder weather, early sunsets and relaxation surrounding you.

Keeping yourself from enjoying all of these once-a-year activities might feel like it’s a healthy choice, but it usually leads to slip ups and splurges of great extent.

To avoid this, enjoy everything in moderation this season. Have a Christmas cookie after dinner – just don’t binge eat 5 during the day. Relax in the evening on your rest day – just don’t skip four workouts to binge watch Christmas movies.

Staying fit during the holidays involves finding balance.

Treating yourself to the wholesome activities and delicious foods is certainly expected, but doing so in moderation is key. Stay consistent with your workouts and start planning for goals ahead. Make healthy choices most of the time, so you can enjoy those desserts and splurges when they come around without guilt.

If you make a mistake, get back on track the next day. Everyone misses their goals and gets lazy once and a while, but the key to success is making sure this doesn’t happen every day. Get back on track, and remember that each morning is a fresh start.

Enjoy these last few months of the year and all they have to offer. Remember that staying fit during the holiday season doesn’t mean depriving yourself of all the goodness the holidays have to offer. No matter how it may feel, it is possible to stay fit during the holidays.

More tips to stay fit during the holidays:

• 8 Ways to Stay Active and Fit this Winter
• How to Keep Running When It Gets Cold and Dark
• 30 Winter Fitness Challenge to Keep You Motivated