The festive season is often when we find ourselves making more plans to socialise with friends and family, enjoying meals out and parties. It is important to stick to a workout routine despite having a busy social calendar. Balance is key when there are a lot of tempting, indulgent foods and drinks on offer.
Here are some tips to stay on top of your exercise routine:
Be realistic. To stick you to a workout routine throughout the festive season, be realistic and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Your goals and focus might need to change for a few weeks. It is better to alter your goals to maintain rather than improve. The worst thing you can do is stop working out completely as people’s bodies become accustomed to exercise, so when you stop, you undo all of the hard work you have put in all year. If you normally plan 4 or 5 workouts per week, cutting that down to 2 or 3 sessions for a couple of weeks will allow you to maintain your fitness levels.
Plan your workouts ahead of time. Look at your calendar at the start of the week, see what you have going on, and decide when you can realistically fit in your workouts. The festive season is about joy and positivity, so make sure the exercise you plan is something you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like a chore. To help further, do a short but effective workout – a full body 30-minute workout is perfect. Don’t forget to write your workouts in your calendar as an event just as you would your social events, scheduling them and the act of writing them down will make you more likely to stick to them!
Alter the time you exercise. If you normally exercise in the evening, you may want to change the time of your workout and schedule it for the morning instead. That way, if festive plans crop up throughout the day, you won’t miss out and can enjoy yourself without feeling guilty.
Workout with a friend. Exercising can be a social outing too. Plan a workout and then grab a coffee afterwards. You will be more likely to stick to your plans if you have made arrangements to exercise with someone else.
Have self-control. This is definitely easier said than done, but overeating and drinking during the festive period does not come with any benefits. If you over-indulge, you will feel sluggish and deprived of energy the next day, which will make it very difficult to motivate yourself to exercise.
