Finding Time to Workout During the Holidays

Posted on December 3rd, 2009.

During the craziness of the holiday season, I’ll admit that it’s not always easy to fit in your workouts like you normally would. Most people know that dedicating an hour to exercise, five to six times per week, is the ideal situation for achieving optimal health right? Well, sometimes this knowledge can actually hinder our fitness progress if we have an “all or nothing” attitude toward exercise. Let’s face it. During the holidays, our lives are so full of parties, shopping trips, extra errands and big projects, that no matter how hard we try, we are unable to fit an hour of exercise into our day.

 

Rather than deciding to skip your exercise routine all together on those particular days, make it a priority to fit in at least SOME amount of exercise. Whether it’s walking for twenty minutes on your treadmill, performing 30 push-ups, or simply stretching your muscles until your body feels loose and limber… ANY amount of exercise is better than NO amount!

 

Another thing you can do on those hectic days when structured exercise seems absolutely impossible, is to incorporate exercise into your daily activities. For example: If you’re going to the grocery store, don’t waste your time trying to find a parking stall close to the store. Instead, park far away and walk briskly inside. To get even more exercise, load your own groceries into your car…. don’t let the nice guy who offers to do it for you do it! All of that pushing and lifting uses calories and gives your body a mini little workout! Use it to your advantage!

 

You can also squeeze in some exercise by taking the stairs, instead of the elevator or escalator. My husband is great at doing this. He works on the 7th floor at the hospital and often has to be to work by 6:00 am. Since he doesn’t have time to get a workout in before work, he simply walks up seven flights of stairs. Not only does it give him a great little exercise session, but he tells me that by the time he’s on his floor, he is wide awake and energized for his busy day ahead.

 

There really is no excuse for not finding time to exercise. Even performing squats while you are brushing your teeth is exercise! While it is best to get an hour of structured exercise into your daily routine, that’s not always feasible in our busy lives. Just be creative and find ways to move your body, work your muscles and burn more calories. You’ll feel proud of yourself for doing it and will reap the benefits exercise provides.

 

 

 

 

 

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