How to Stay Fit Pre & Post Holiday Season
The holidays can be a stressful time for many; whether you have healthy family relationships or not, it can be a challenge to stay both mentally and physically fit during this time of year.
The holiday season is fast approaching, and while this can be an exciting, happy time for many, it can also bring a lot of stress. Even if you’ve been taking care of your health and working toward feeling your best, this can be a daunting time, full of temptation and habit breaking, that takes you a few steps back on your wellness journey.
This blog is all about finding ways to indulge and enjoy yourself without letting your mental or physical health suffer! Read on for ways to stay on track before, after, and during the holidays!
Preparation is Key
As the holidays approach, you’re likely making plans, marking parties and get-togethers on your calendar, and researching fun recipes to share with your loved ones.
By getting into a routine and prioritizing your nutrition, you can also start preparing your body and mind for the season! Don’t worry if you’ve already experienced some Halloween candy setbacks, it’s not too late to prep!
Get into a routine!
Now more than ever, having a self-care routine is imperative for surviving and thriving during the holidays.
Create a daily and weekly routine that you can easily maintain. Waking up a little earlier may feel more challenging as the days get shorter and the mornings get colder but is the key to making sure you get your workout in and out of the way.
My routine during the fall and especially winter months looks like this:
- I set some warm, cozy slippers by my bed before going to sleep, so that when my alarm goes off in the morning, I am more likely to wake up immediately, knowing I get to slide my feet into snuggly slippers.
- I turn on a little space heater in my workout space before I plan to exercise so my space is already warm & inviting.
- I start my day by adding Neora Slim + Skin Collagen Powder to my coffee to get some nutrition right off the bat.
- I like to take that hot cup of coffee to my workout space to help me get moving.
- I usually work out for an hour, but I like to have some 15-20 minute workout videos on hand for when I don’t have as much time, and I love to vary my workouts to keep myself motivated – some days I do yoga or Pilates, and other days, I like to weight train.
- Post workout, I do ten minutes of energizing breathwork, followed by a cold shower. Both breathwork and cold showers are great for building resilience. This is my go-to daily way to take care of my mental health.
- My entire morning routine can be done in 30 minutes! When I have more time, I might enjoy a longer workout – but by committing to 30 minutes of movement a day, I know I can always get in my exercise.
If a nighttime routine works better for your schedule, switch out energizing breathwork for relaxing breathwork or a guided meditation. At night, I like to take a hot bath instead of a cold shower to feel relaxed and ready for bed, and to switch out coffee for herbal tea mixed with Neora Cleanse + Calm.
Prioritize Nutrition
Once the holiday season is in full swing, it’s more difficult to eat balanced meals, so get into the habit of meal prepping and eating healthy but satisfying meals before the season begins.
My go-to for the winter season is soup! Make sure your soups are full of veggies and protein like beans, tofu, or any other low-fat source of protein that you enjoy. Soup is both satisfying and healthy, making it the perfect choice for fall and winter.
During the Holidays
From Thanksgiving to New Year’s there are many social gatherings to attend, and every gathering is sure to showcase several decadent meals and indulgent desserts. It’s important to enjoy yourself while not overindulging.
Serve yourself small quantities of everything you want to try. Rather than a heaping scoop of each side dish, put smaller scoops on your plate and stick to smaller plates when possible. A smaller, full plate feels more satisfying than a big one that’s half empty.
Avoid going back for seconds if you can, but if there’s something you really love, have that extra scoop or extra slice, because if you feel like you’re denying yourself, you’ll likely self-sabotage later on.
Try not to drink your calories. It’s easy to guzzle down several cocktails or glasses of wine, but do your best to limit high calorie drinks; you’ll wake up feeling better the next morning, which means you’ll be more likely to get in that quick workout in the morning.
Stick to your routine! Dinner and parties may mean later bedtimes and less z’s. Prioritize your sleep by making sure you go to bed at a reasonable time so that you are more likely to wake up earlier. It’s tempting to hit the snooze button, but if you can wake up and do even a 10-minute workout, the rest of your day will go more smoothly.
Movement is so important for mental health. It has been proven in countless studies that when you prioritize your physical health, your mental health will follow.
Don’t worry. If weighing yourself daily doesn’t take a toll on your mental health, then by all means do so, but if it causes you stress to see the numbers on the scale rising each day, then take a break and remind yourself that the holidays are the time to enjoy your loved ones, to celebrate, and to get into the spirit of fun!
Know yourself, set realistic goals during the holidays, and be kind to yourself if you experience small setbacks. Avoid getting too obsessed with your body during this time, as it’s normal to need more sleep and crave high calorie foods: because our ancestors needed more calories during the winter months to stay warm and survive, craving high calorie foods in the deep dark winter is in our DNA, so give yourself some grace, and if you really want to indulge, just do it.
Post Holidays
January 1st is a big day for setting intentions, resolutions, and starting fresh. If you’re able to keep some sort of routine during the holidays, it won’t feel like you’re starting from scratch.
Use this day to re-evaluate your routines and to start a new meal plan that won’t seem daunting but will help you to reach your goals. Setting realistic goals for yourself is more important now than ever; many people set lofty goals for themselves and quickly forget them within a few weeks.
You don’t have to go from zero to sixty to reach your goals. In fact, making small changes can be more effective.
If you completely stopped working out during the holidays, plan for short workouts in the first two weeks. That way, you won’t be too sore to work out the next day and, as your body adapts, you will be able to gradually increase to longer, higher intensity workouts.
Remember, while the holidays may feel like the kiss of death for your goals and your health, if you’re able to stick to a small routine throughout the season, you’ll have less work to catch up on once the New Year arrives. It’s okay to indulge and enjoy yourself, but it’s possible to enjoy yourself and stay on track!
Adriana Lee
NeoraFit™ Ambassador Adriana Lee is a Las Vegas born yoga teacher and yoga teacher trainer. She is all about self-discovery and empowerment through yoga. She teaches her students how to breathe, how to feel and how to get reacquainted with their bodies. As a teacher, she breaks down big concepts and complicated poses into bite-sized pieces to make them more accessible. Her teaching is based in anatomy and biomechanics. Students leave the class feeling refreshed, connected to their bodies, and empowered — and now she brings her skill and experience exclusively to you.
Love the great holiday ideas!! Thank you for outlining a reduced morning routine! Love it!
Thank you for mentioning if you want seconds go ahead and not sabotage later. I love that and it’s so true.
Stress!! Naaa. We #livehappy !
Great tip on breath work after workout each morning! I’m trying that!
This article is so helpful! Thank you for the great tips!