How to Maintain Your Fitness Over Christmas

If your Christmas typically looks like; declining gym sessions, increased alcohol consumption, loss of motivation and eating ’til your stomach is sore… you’re not alone.

The festive season is well and truly upon us and between office parties, Christmas shopping and family events, it can be difficult to stick to your health and fitness routine.

So here’s the deal; you won’t be able to hit the gym every day or avoid the occasional treat. However, these 9 festive fitness hacks might help you feel a little bit better over the Christmas break and make getting back into it when January rolls around, a little easier.

1. QUICK WORKOUTS

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) might just be your best friend this Christmas. You can smash out a 20-minute session in the morning, leaving the rest of the day free to lounge by the pool and eat with good company!

2. PUMP UP YOUR NUTRITION AND WATER INTAKE AT HOME

Indulging at parties and functions is all the more reason to keep things business as usual at home. Combat those treats by drinking extra water and factoring extra nutrient-dense foods into your week.

3. PICK AND CHOOSE

It’s easy to feel pressured to attend EVERY event you get an invite to around Christmas time, but it’s okay to pick and choose! Maybe you copped a few too many event invites (so popular!) and you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of attending them all – just remember that if you’re craving a night in bed watching Netflix or a gym session and healthy homemade dinner, it is okay to say no. 

4. MAKE A PLAN

Each Sunday, plan your week ahead! Schedule in your workouts and meal prep so that you feel prepared and motivated to smash your goals. When you stumble across a few cheeky festive drinks or treats during the week, you’ll still have a solid foundation to fall back on to keep you on track.

5. SET BOUNDARIES

Make a contract with yourself. Whether it’s a cap on consuming under 5 units of alcohol per week or committing to eating 5 serves of veggies each day regardless of the occasion, it’s a lot harder to break the rules if you make them yourself. 

6. STAY FLEXIBLE

Be flexible in your approach to your exercise. If you find yourself home later than expected from a festive lunch, leaving limited time for a gym session, go for a run around the block or try a circuit at home instead! Doing some sort of exercise is always better than none.

7. GET SOCIAL

Leg day is after all a pain best shared. Find someone who also wants to keep their health on track over the holidays so you can motivate and challenge each other. Prioritising your health and fitness over the holidays certainly doesn’t mean you have to stop socialising!

8. REST

The festive season can deplete your energy so ensure you’re resting enough so that your exercise sessions are still having an impact. Remember that ramping up your exercise frequency over the holidays can have adverse effects if you’re not giving your body adequate time to recover.

9. ENJOY YOURSELF

This is easily the most important tip. HAVE FUN! Remember, your health and fitness journey doesn’t have to be all or nothing – you can find the balance to enjoy the treats and experiences you love whilst moving your body and nourishing it too. Sure, go for a run in the morning and have a nourishing breakfast but do us a favour and eat some of that Christmas pud.

• Bio

AIF

The Australian Institute of Fitness

The Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) is the largest and longest established fitness training organisation in Australia, with dynamic training methods and expert course coaches nationwide - spanning fitness, massage and nutrition. The AIF qualifies more fitness professionals than any other provider in Australia, as well as offering a broad range of continuing education courses (CEC), upskilling resources and partnership programs for existing industry.