How to Carve out Time for Exercise During the Holidays
November 14, 2018
After saying goodbye to daylight saving time and hello to the holidays, it sometimes feels like the hours have been siphoned out of the day. Add in a stream of social obligations and general busyness—and who has time for exercise?
With some creative planning, you can absolutely fit in regular workouts. Here are our favorite ways to do so.
Then challenge yourself to devote some of those minutes to exercise. This way, you can replace the not-so-healthy habit of mindless scrolling with a healthier one.
The good news is you easily re-spark your drive. Our nutrition coaches recommend this visualization technique, which helps you define your motivation in detail, painting a clear picture of why you want to exercise more. You can perform it anytime you feel inclined to skip a workout.
Better yet, sign up for a group fitness class, like yoga, cycling, or dancing. Many gyms and studios let you book your spot in advance, which makes you schedule it in your calendar and show up to get your money’s worth.
Rewards will help you power through the “don’t wanna” days and develop good habits, until the long-term health benefits will be reward enough.
With some creative planning, you can absolutely fit in regular workouts. Here are our favorite ways to do so.
1. Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset
Exercise doesn’t have to be an hour of high-intensity circuit training. It can be as simple as a 7-minute workout in your living room or 10 minutes of climbing stairs. Focus on doing something (not everything), and be willing to pat yourself on the back for it.2. Replace phone time with exercise time
Ever feel like you spend too much time on your phone? You’re not alone. To get an honest assessment of your screen time, you can download a tracking app or see if there’s one already installed on your phone.Then challenge yourself to devote some of those minutes to exercise. This way, you can replace the not-so-healthy habit of mindless scrolling with a healthier one.
3. Remind yourself of your motivation
Motivation comes and goes. And when you’re preoccupied with countless holiday obligations, it’s really easy to forget about exercising.The good news is you easily re-spark your drive. Our nutrition coaches recommend this visualization technique, which helps you define your motivation in detail, painting a clear picture of why you want to exercise more. You can perform it anytime you feel inclined to skip a workout.
4. Make it social
Instead of meeting friends for dinner or coffee, see if they’re interested in joining you for a workout. (You can always eat together afterward.)Better yet, sign up for a group fitness class, like yoga, cycling, or dancing. Many gyms and studios let you book your spot in advance, which makes you schedule it in your calendar and show up to get your money’s worth.
5. Treat yourself afterward
With most goals in life, including fitness ones, results take time. Rewarding yourself with something tangible, like a new shirt, gives you a more instant source of gratification, nudging you to keep the ball rolling. For ideas, check out these eight ways reward yourself without food.Rewards will help you power through the “don’t wanna” days and develop good habits, until the long-term health benefits will be reward enough.
