Setting Realistic Fitness Goals During the Holiday Season
Setting realistic fitness goals around the holiday season can help you maintain the fitness progress you have worked so hard for during the first eleven months of the year. In this article, we will discuss some tips to help you stay motivated and make time for your fitness routine during the busy holiday season.
Plan a Race or Fitness Test Around the Holidays
Planning a race, competition or personal challenge during the holidays can help you stay motivated to get your workouts in during the last month of the year. Testing out your 5k time or one rep maxes can also help you assess your fitness level at the end of the year so you can more effectively set goals in the new year! Plan your last event or test out session in the last couple weeks of the year so your do not lose steam!
Get Outside
Many people spend more time indoors during the holiday season due to limited sunlight, colder temperatures and inclement weather. However, bringing your workouts outdoors can boost enjoyment and allow you to get some extra vitamin D during this gloomy time. Running, walking or even doing resistance training workouts outdoors can help you gain more health and fitness benefits while also boosting your mood.
Reward Yourself for Adherence to your Fitness Plan
Reward yourself after completing your workouts during the holiday season! You can bribe yourself with time with a good book, a massage or lunch with a friend for completing a certain number of workouts. Having an external reward to look forward to can help motivate you to get your workouts done during the holiday season.
Make Use of Workout Time Saving Techniques
You may find yourself extra busy during the holiday season. This is the perfect time to employ time saving techniques during your workouts. Using supersets, cutting your rest time, performing circuit routines or jumping rope between sets can all help you get more work done in less time, helping you get out of the gym faster and onto your holiday shopping.
Set More Realistic Goals
Many people find they can’t devote quite as much time or energy to fitness training during the holiday season. For this reason, it may help to keep your fitness goals more modest during this time. You may aim to just maintain your fitness progress and save any loftier goals for the new year.
Final Thoughts
You can still make a lot of progress on your fitness goals in the month between Thanksgiving and New Years. With a bit of creativity, proper planning and a dose of pragmatism, you can set personal bests during the holidays!
Need help setting fitness goals or sticking to a dedicated fitness plan? Consider personal training or online coaching this holiday season.
