Stay Fit During The Holidays – What You Need To Know

Staying Fit During The Holidays – What You Need To Know | NordicTrack Blog

How to stay fit over the holidays doesn’t have to be a secret. With a few tips and a NordicTrack treadmill to lend a hand, you can beat off the winter pounds and stay healthy and fit.

Stick To Your Workout Schedule As Much As Possible

The holiday season seems to be filled with events, from Christmas performances to company holiday parties, many evenings become busy. As many people choose to work out in the evenings, making these celebratory rounds can really cut into a workout schedule.

By swapping out your exercise time with sitting and eating time, it is likely that you will feel the effects of missing your workouts – such as lower energy and poor sleep – sooner rather than later. To help you avoid this, there are some things you can do to stick to your workout schedule as much as possible:

Do shorter workouts, since any workout is better than nothing. HIIT exercises are a great choice when you are low on time but still want to ramp up your calorie burn.
Exercise in the morning instead of the evening. That way, you don’t have to trim down your workout to be ready for an event instead.
Be creative if you have to travel away from your home gym equipment. Bundle up and take a run around the town you are visiting, or stay toasty inside while doing bodyweight exercises.

Find A Race To Train For Over The Holidays

With the short winter days, many people feel a bit more tired and lack motivation. To help you push through, pick a race or two to work towards.

You can choose from a Christmas-themed Santa fun run, Christmas Day half marathons, New Year’s Eve races, or an early spring race. By having a race to look forward to, you can keep your workouts focused and keep your motivation higher.

Track Your Calories, Even During Parties

It can be far too easy to mindlessly munch through the holidays. To help break that cycle, we want to recommend that you track your calories throughout the holiday season.

A great calorie tracking feature is right on your iFit® app. Utilize the iFit calorie tracking dashboard right on your phone and watch your food intake over the holidays more easily.

By taking a second to input what you are eating and how much, you allow yourself to make an informed decision whether or not you really want to indulge in another sugar cookie.

Provide Yourself With Healthy Foods

It can be tough to make good food choices when you get to a party and find your only options are an array of desserts and simple carbs. You can give yourself a hand by bringing your own healthy food options so you can keep your fitness in check over the holidays. Some options you can easily carry are:

Hard-boiled eggs
Protein bars
Jerky
Nuts mix

If the party is more of a sit-down dinner party, volunteer to bring a dish. That way, you can be sure you have at least one healthy option as you take smaller portions of the less healthy food.

Hold To A Good Sleep Schedule

It’s easy to skip out on sleep during the holidays, from attending events to late-nights for wrapping presents taking up your precious sleeping time. But when individuals lack sleep, they are more prone to overeating, and it is easier to skip workouts when you are too exhausted to perform them safely.

Adults on average need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. It can be tough to stick to a steady sleep schedule, but if you manage to do it, you will be able to make it through the holiday season healthier and fitter than others who short-change themselves.

By preparing yourself by implementing the suggestions listed above, you should be able to avoid feeling worn down and out-of-shape as you move into the new year.