Now that it’s the thick of the holiday season have you noticed something missing from your holiday workout sessions?
Like, I don’t know – People???
If you’ve been hitting the gym or your regular class you might notice you have a little more breathing room than normal.
With the holidays comes lots of “more”. More shopping, more parties, more food, more fun.
And I get it. As the days are getting closer and closer to the 25th, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
If it means getting a Brita pitcher for your sister’s boyfriend’s Christmas present, then you hit Target after work instead of the gym.
But as someone who is pretty religious about sticking to a workout schedule, I’ll make a modest appeal and encourage you not to go 10 days without getting in some a few holiday workout sessions.
First off, the holidays mean all those favorite foods that only come out once a year make their annual appearance.
And sorry, but I’m not passing on my mother-in-law’s famous snickerdoodle cookies.
I mean it when I say I don’t give a damn if the scale inches up a few digits because of it.
But, I also don’t want it going up double digits either.
Getting in a few holiday workout sessions isn’t going to balance out all the goodies of the season, but it will help keep your weight gain in check.
Considering today is the 22nd here’s an easy schedule I think most of us can agree to.
This will take you right up until the energy and excitement of your New Year’s Resolution kicks in and gets you to the gym on the regular starting January 2.
I’ll just assume we all worked out this morning (Right?? 
) so moving forward here is a simple holiday workout plan:
Friday 12/23: 45 mins of cardio
Saturday 12/24: Off
Sunday 12/25: Off
Monday 12/26: 45 mins of cardio
Tuesday 12/27: 30 minutes of weights or Power Yoga
Wednesday 12/28: 45 mins of cardio
Thursday 12/29: 45 mins of cardio
Friday 12/30: 30 minutes of weights or Power Yoga
Saturday 12/31: 45 mins of cardio. Last sweat session of the year!!
And then I’m a firm believer in starting the year off right!
Pick an activity you love for January 1st.
Don’t worry about the calories burned or miles logged if that’s not your thing. But do SOMETHING to start the New Year with a commitment to your health.
From a relaxing yoga class, to a fun 5k, to walking with your mom. Make it special. It’s the perfect way to set the tone for 2017.
But trust me, don’t write off the next 10 days as a lost cardio cause.
That bad feeling of eating too many goodies and no elevated heart rate for the next week and a half will have you feeling like a roly-poly going into the New Year.
Take some time for yourself to sweat it out and then let go of the guilt-talk as you eat that cookie.
And a personal plea: Don’t be the person that complains that “they are so full they going to die” or that they’ve “gained a billion pounds in December”.
No one is going to die and it’s not possible to gain that much weight in a month. But it is possible to be a serious buzz kill.
So enjoy the season’s treats sans the guilt-talk and get that blood flowing eight-holiday workout sessions over the next ten days.
