Work In a Workout: Avoid Holiday Weight Gain, Part 4
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Now is not the time to train for a marathon or a bodybuilding competition (although if you are, good for you!) – the goal is to maintain your fitness level, destress, and give yourself some “you” time!
This post, part four in the series about how to avoid gaining weight during the holiday season, is why you should prioritize some workouts into your weekly routine.
It’s perhaps not only for the reason you think though.
During the holidays, you are not necessarily working out to counteract the extra calories you are consuming.
Your mindset should be a little shifted after part two in the series about focusing on your produce consumption. Also, if you are focusing on your liver health from part one, your body’s fat burning machine is humming along pretty efficiently.
Instead, you are working out to counteract stress and give yourself an escape from the hustle and bustle of the season, plus your endorphins will make you feel so much better and able to handle any extra commitments you have to face!
I’ve written a lot about squeezing fitness into your day, whether you’re trying to develop an exercise routine, try something new, or make working out feel like less of a chore. The good thing about that is that means I have suggestions for everyone, regardless of fitness level and the kind of activity you like.
Because ultimately, the key to fitness is consistency. And the key to consistency is finding something you like to do.
Personally, I adore barre. It is a great workout that you won’t realize is as challenging as it is until the next day when you feel muscles you didn’t know you have. You also feel graceful and pretty in the workout - which who wouldn’t love – and you won’t sweat much. Read more about what barre is, and what it does, HERE.
On the other hand, if you only have a little pocket of time, get a quick and dirty workout with a Tabata workout, which is high intensity interval training at its finest! Here you get maximum bang for your buck.
For some sample routines, check out my ultra-efficient lunchtime Tabata routine with a bonus barre workout. (If you want to combine both, they clock in at about an hour!)
Or maybe you like something else. YouTube is a great resource because there are lots of types of workouts on there, many of them free! This allows you to try something new without anyone watching in the privacy of your own home. Read more about my favorite YouTube workout channels here!
And as important as finding something you like to do is finding the time of day that’s easiest for you to slot it in.
There’s a perennial debate about what time of day gives you the best results. For awhile you’ll read that morning exercise is the most effective for fat burn or evening for endurance or any such amount of nonsense. Now, these types of nuances can be important if you are an elite athlete looking to perfect your performance and have a personal record of some sort.
But for those of us looking to be healthy, active humans, the best time of day to work out is the one that will be easiest for you to do consistently.
That could mean the morning. I personally do love a morning workout, which helps me face my day feeling like I’ve already accomplished so much. (And if you read part three of this avoiding holiday weight gain series, “Early to Bed, Early to Rise,” you already know I suggested using extra morning time to get in a workout).
If you are looking to squeeze your workout into your morning, you should read my post about home workouts! This overview gives you all the reasons working out at home is great (it excuse-proof’s your workout!) and a couple of pieces of equipment you might want to pick up to complete your “home gym.” I should mention that in total everything is under $200 and can be stored in a corner of a closet in even the tiniest of apartments!
Working out at home is also great if you want to do it after work! You can start dinner then head to a different room to exercise while it cooks – now that is efficiency!
Or, if you are a lunchtime workout person (or want to become one), welcome to the club! Most of the classes I’ve taught in the past 15 years have been lunchtime classes. I have created a full guide for lunchtime workouts, including my best tips for scheduling and planning your routine, sequencing your snacks and lunch, and getting out of the locker room quickly looking impossibly fresh here!
Ultimately, adding some activity into your weekly routine – it doesn’t have to be daily, but ideally you should have some sort of exercise on more days than not – will benefit your mental health in addition to your physical health.
It might sound counterintuitive to add something to your to do list when it is already overflowing, but I’ll bet you find that you are more productive and less stressed after a good workout to make that small time investment worth it!
For days when you really only have a few minutes, try my 30 Day Plank Challenge, which will have your core noticeably stronger by Black Friday!
