Marking out your fitness goals for the festive period

So the flash sales have come and gone and you have fought your way through the crowds as you begin to think about your Christmas shopping, but what about your planning for the festive holidays?

A lot of people see the Christmas period as a tough one and can become a little lapse with their training regime but there should no panic! If you plan things as effectively as your wrapping and your work party then you should have no problem in keeping your fitness goals in check. You can prepare for the busy period in many ways and if you really put your mind to it you can see some really impressive results in what is a busy time of year for us all.

Use that spare time!

The first thing to consider might be the extra time you will have to dedicate to some form of exercise. Generally unless you are the biggest work-a-holic, people have some extra free time during the Christmas break but don’t always use it effectively. Why not try and get in a few extra workouts during your free time rather than binging on a TV marathon or having just ‘one more’ sausage roll? Of course family will always come first during the Christmas season but if you can plan around your own free time better then you should have more time to work on you and not let the month of December become too much of a lazy one.

Beat the alarm clock!

A lot of people during Christmas enjoy warm lie ins and the comforts of home, which is understandable in the colder months but if you really want to see some changes or continue smashing your training goals then the early morning should be your best friend. Try to wake up earlier than normal and use the morning hours to smash out some exercise and start your day off right. The endorphins released into your system from an early morning blast will make you feel better about your day and should see you have plenty of time later in the day to dedicate to other things like family and wrapping presents.

Stay warm

It may sound obvious but the number of people who complain about the cold weather over the winter months is a constant thing. If you are training over the latter months of the year then keeping warm is essential to how your body will react to your training regime and how you feel about training full stop. With the dropping temperatures outside it is key to keep your muscles warm whilst exercising and also just as important is keeping your body warm immediately after a workout. If you are cold and stiff then you won’t feel like getting out of bed let alone going and killing a workout. Layer up and use thermals to stay on your game in the cold as using the colder temperatures as an excuse to not go and break another record is a big no no!

Get some YOU time too!

With the sometimes crazy speed that Christmas sneaks up on you it is possible that you forget to factor in some you time and really look after yourself as well as planning for everyone else to have a good Christmas. If you usually have a cheat day then don’t forget to fill your face with your favourite treats as well as burn them off the following day! Give yourself time to enjoy the festivities too and allow some time for you to meet friends and workmates as well as the usual family rituals.

With some decent planning you can find a way to enjoy your fitness goals whilst being busy over the Christmas period. It is a fine balance between being busy and being overworked but as with your training if you can plan all your commitments in alongside some downtime then you can enjoy the best of both worlds!

Make this Christmas a successful one by maximize your free time to really feel the benefit of whatever spare time you may have and avoid being a Christmas Grinch!