3 Workout Tips To Make It Through The Holiday Season

As you get all geared up for the holiday season, one thing that might be causing you a slight amount of anxiety is how you ever plan to make it through with your workout intact.  There’s no questioning the fact that it’s an incredibly busy time of year and chances are you aren’t going to have time to keep up with your usual gym routine.

But, does this mean that you need to forgo your fitness level and just accept the weight that normally comes on during the next four weeks?

Not if you are smart in your approach.

By using the following three strategies you can ensure that you don’t end up facing the New Year with a weight loss resolution in mind.

Accept Maintenance Over Progression

The very first thing that you should be doing if you want to maximize the success that you get with your workout plan is to focus on maintenance over progression.  Now is not the time to set a lofty fitness goal to strive for because you’ll already be fighting an uphill battle.

Instead, simply opt to aim to maintain your current fitness level.  This will require far less time in the gym as you can cut back on your current workload by 2/3’s and still see great results.

If you can get into the gym twice per week and perform two full body workouts, aiming to complete two to three sets of a compound exercise for each major muscle group, this should be sufficient to helping you keep your current strength level.

Be Active Outdoors

Second, also make sure that you consider all the various outdoor activities that you can do during this time as well.  If you want to get out of the gym and interact with others, try skating, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, or even just walking around looking at Christmas lights.

All of these activities will produce a high calorie burn and help you maintain your body weight as the season progresses on.

Don’t think that you absolutely have to be in the gym to see results.

Watch Your Diet

Finally, last but not least, make sure that you do attempt to watch your diet.  While it is hard at this time of the year, if you can make it a rule that you will only allow two indulgences per week, this should go a long way towards helping you maintain your body weight.

Remember that what you eat will have more of an influence over weight gain than whether or not you’re hitting the gym, so tighten up with your diet and you should be fine.

There’s no reason to deprive yourself completely and be miserable that you can’t enjoy any holiday goodies, but practice some strict moderation.  And when you aren’t treating yourself, stick to protein and vegetables only to allow for more calories to go towards those indulgences without setting you over your target intake.

So there you have a few quick tips to help you get through the holiday season. Make an effort to stay active both in the gym or in other activities while watching your diet and you should get through the season without a problem.