Stay Active During The Holidays

With the holidays right around the corner, many of us will be traveling a lot in the coming months. Staying active is key for me when traveling so I don’t arrive home feeling like a total hot mess, especially when indulgent holiday meals are thrown into the mix. Here are some tips for enjoying your holiday travels without letting fitness fall by the wayside.

1) If you’re spending the holidays on a vacation away from home, try active sightseeing and fitness-related excursions.

Rent a bike to explore a new city, go scuba diving or surfing, go snowshoeing or skiing, or simply walk! Pick some fun and active excursions (and check out gym and fitness class offerings, too)!

2) Sign up for a holiday race or walk!

Not only are holiday races a lot of fun, but they are a great way to stay motivated to train during the busy holiday season. Most cities and towns have gotten on board the holiday race bandwagon; Active.com and RunningInTheUSA.com are good resources for finding races near you. Not finding any that work? Host your own “race” with your family! Bonus: you’ll work up an appetite for those holiday dinners!

3) Try out a new-to-you fitness studio.

Using travel as an excuse to try out a workout or studio, is a great way to mix it up from your normal workout routine! Even better is that often studios will offer “first class free” drop ins.

4) If studios aren’t an option, design your own workout!

Bring resistance bands, a jump rope, and other portable exercise equipment with you, and utilize whatever other equipment you have on hand. You might have a hotel or home gym full of weights and balls, but if not, get creative – use chairs for step ups and dips, turn soup cans into light weights, etc! If you need some inspiration, pack your favorite workout DVDs or try a fitness app.

5) Incorporate fitness into your family time.

I love taking family walks and hikes during the holidays. And remember that fitness doesn’t just mean organized activity – embrace your inner kid and build a snowman, go sledding or ice skating, or play tag!

All of this said… be realistic, too! You won’t be able to 100% stick to your normal workout routine during the holidays and that’s okay. It’s a time to recuperate and relax a bit, as well! Be kind to yourself – stay active in ways that are fun to you and incorporate built in fitness into your day to day activities (walking, taking the stairs), but don’t stress yourself out if there are days when a workout simply doesn’t happen.