Blogger Highlight: The Foodie Runner’s 5 Tips To Stay Active During The Holidays

As you all know, the holidays are upon us and that can mean lots of travel, Christmas cookies, and holiday parties that can make it difficult to keep up with your fitness routine. While I’m a firm believer in enjoying the holidays and all the yummy food that accompany them, I also know that I feel better when I get in a little sweat every day. 

Today I’m sharing 5 tips to help you stay active during the holiday season, so that you can end the year on a happy and healthy note!

1. Try a new activity.

When I visit family during the holidays, I’m usually in between training cycles, so I’m not sticking to a super structured training plan as far as my running. I take the opportunity when I have it to be active in new, fun ways like skiing with my sister and brother-in-law in Colorado or snowshoeing with my mom in New England. If you are visiting family or friends this holiday season, maybe try out one of their favorite fitness related activities. You’ll get extra time together, and it’s always invigorating to change up your exercise routine.

2. Get the whole family involved.

In the cold winter months it is so much easier to work out when you are with other people.

3. Rethink how long your workout has to be.

Time is in short supply during the holiday season. All of that shopping, baking, gift wrapping, and grocery shopping can eat into your time quick, and it’s easy to think that you don’t have time to workout. This year, I challenge you to rethink how long a workout “has” to be in order to be productive. You can work up a really good sweat AND get in an effective workout in 15 minutes. Try out the treadmill HIIT workout below for an example of what I mean. 

4. Don’t underestimate the power of body weight exercises.

Bodyweight exercises are great, especially for holiday travelers. They don’t require any equipment—you can do them anywhere and they are quiet, which is perfect if you’re staying in a hotel or with family, and are a morning workout person. For a quick strength routine and no exercise equipment, do 2-3 sets of 20 lunges, 15 push-ups, 25 crunches, 20 squats, 15 tricep dips (on a chair), and 45-60 seconds plank.

5. Give yourself grace.

Like I said above, the holidays are a busy, stressful time. Don’t add to your stress levels by forcing yourself to workout every single day. Exercise when you can because you love it, not because it’s an obligation. That might mean that you workout 2 times a week during the holiday season, but sticking with some sort of routine will make it that much easier to get back into a more consistent routine come January!

Treadmill HIIT Workout

Try this treadmill HIIT workout – workup a sweat and get in an effective workout in less than 15 minutes!

Do each exercise for 40 seconds with 20 seconds rest before the next exercise:

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Squats (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Push-Ups (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Crunches (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Lunges (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Tricep Dips (on a chair or bench) (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Plank (40 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

– Run on the treadmill at a comfortably hard pace (40 seconds)

Author: The Foodie Runner

Up next, The Foodie Runner talks about 10 common runner mistakes and how to avoid them.