Let me be blunt: don’t sacrifice your workout routine in December. It’s just not worth it, and will make your start to 2018 that much harder. December 2016 was the first year I successfully kept up my fitness goals over the holidays, while still enjoying all the parties and snacks and drinks. Come 2017 and I’m finding it much more challenging than last year, and looking for ways to sneak in workouts amongst the busy days.
Here’s how you can continue to keep up with your fitness goals over the busy holiday season, and ensure you’re feeling your best amongst the holiday craziness.
Shorten your workout
I’m a big fan of the short workout. Grab a few props, follow some fitness bloggers on Instagram, and get a workout in right from your living room. Download an app, (I suggest Nike Training or Sweat with Kayla) or follow Instagram accounts like @thebettyrocker or @carlyrowena for quick high-intensity workouts you can do from anywhere.
Get active for your holiday dates
Here’s my favourite: incorporating social hangouts and friend meetups with working out. Take advantage of a unique fitness class in Toronto, try out a new rock climbing gym, or go skating on one of Toronto’s many outdoor rinks. Follow up your activity with a yummy cocktail, beer or fancy coffee, and you’ll have an amazing date without the caloric guilt of many food and drink focused dates.
Take advantage of workouts on the go
Whether it’s in a cozy chalet, your parents basement, a hotel or elsewhere–being away from home is never an excuse to not workout. Apps and social media have really empowered us to take the gym wherever we go. I’ve definitely used the edge of beds in hotel rooms to do tricep dips and chairs to do step-ups. Enough room to do burpees? Your entire body will thank you later. Throw a tension band in your luggage and you’ll have your own mini gym at your fingertips.
Find a new yoga studio
To many, a gorgeous yoga studio may as well be like embarking on a high-end resort. The calming atmosphere, stunning designs and luscious light-filled room may evoke an inner calmness you never knew existed (especially during the holiday’s). Many studios offer a discounted trial month, and why not take advantage of December to use that offer? The studios will be far busier in January, so you may as well treat yourself to the calmness and serenity prior to the crazy gym-focused-goers at the beginning of the year.
Explore new gyms and studios in your hometown
Whether you grew up in a different area in the city or you’re heading to the depths of rural Ontario for the holiday season, there will be a new gym or studio to explore. Do some preliminary research online and see what’s changed since you’ve been home, and whether or not there is a new facility to check out. Email ahead and see if you can get a guest pass or a weekly membership, and perhaps even bring an old friend from high school?
Happy working out!
A version of this article originally appeared on 29Secrets.com.
meghan jeffery 