Please repeat with me:
I will NOT fall off the exercise wagon this holiday season!
The holidays are not a reason to blow off exercise until January 1st!
Tape these mantras to your wall if you have to- whatever works!
Staying consistent with exercise during the holidays is my number one tip for Staying Healthy During The Holiday Season! Exercise keeps me feeling energized, balanced, healthy, and glow-y.
Yes, glow-y!
Eric and I will be spending this Christmas with my dad in New Brunswick! Sadly, our dear Sketchie won’t be coming, but at least the in laws will be here to cat sit for us. ;)
Today, I wanted to explore what my best tips are for ensuring that my workouts don’t fall by the wayside during this busy time of the year. I will be blogging while we are away showing you how I am doing! Hopefully it will be more of ‘I rocked that workout’ rather than ‘I’m stuffing my face with vegan cookies’ lol.
Tip #1: Always pack workout clothes and sneakers
This tip is obvious, but worth stating. If you don’t have your workout clothes and sneakers you have a high chance of not working out while traveling. Who really wants to wear Aunt Betty’s old sneakers anyways? ;) Bring everything you need so there are no excuses: sneakers, socks, workout bra, tee, shorts/pants, music, hat, gloves, etc! You catch my drift.
Tip #2: Get a pass at a local gym
This is something I have done many times in the past. I did a quick Google search and I found that there is a new gym just 10 minutes from my dad’s place- SCORE!!! I also found that they have a free week pass on their website- DOUBLE SCORE! This will be a great way to ensure that I can fit in some exercise even if there is a huge snow storm and I can’t workout outdoors. Being a born and raised Maritimer, I know how brutal the weather can be there. Often the snow banks are taller than my dad! Any Maritimers out there?
I printed out my free week and already placed it in my suitcase that I will be taking with me (nerd alert!)
Tip #3: Bring a workout DVD
I will be bringing 30-Day Shred with me ‘just in case’. Who knows, I might get the whole family doing 30-Day shred together! ;) I’m not sure if my dad has hand weights, but I can always use soup cans in a pinch.
Tip #4: Plan Active outings with the family
My dad emailed me asking me if there was anything I wanted to do during our visit. These are some activities I came up with:
- Outdoor ice skating
- Hiking/sightseeing
- Looking at Christmas lights
- Volunteering at a soup kitchen
I LOVE outdoor ice skating. I have very fond memories of skating on this outdoor rink in Moncton, New Brunswick. My dad used to take me all the time in the winter! I used to be a figure skater, you know. ;)
This is what it looks like in the summer:
Hopefully we can rent some skates!
Tip #5: Make a POA (Plan Of Attack)!
I printed off a calendar and made an exercise POA. I will be doing a 6am workout at home on X-mas Eve (likely a 45 min treadmill hill workout + Whittle My Middle). We depart early afternoon for New Brunswick on X-mas Eve. On Christmas day, I thought ice skating with the family might be fun or an outdoor walk. On Saturday and Sunday I will try to make it to the local gym early in the morning and on Monday I might do 30-Day shred before we take off.
By making a POA, I am planning to succeed, not fail. :D
Tip #6: Pack Resistance Bands
My dad uses resistance bands religiously so I am going to ask him to give me a tutorial with them as I have never used them. He just raves about them. Maybe I will have to pick up some at some point. My dad always says how great they are for traveling because they are virtually weight-less and super easy to pack!
Tip #7: Involve the family
I will be dragging asking my family to workout with me. I find that often people are more than willing to join in if it is a group endeavor. They don’t want to be the odd man out and will usually come along. If they struggle I will bribe them with Glo Bars. ;)
Tip #8: Have a back-up plan!
If all else fails have a back-up plan. Maybe there is no DVD player to play your workout DVD. Or maybe you are snowed in and can’t get to the ice rink or out for a walk. What’s a healthy gal to do? I always have a back-up plan up my sleeve. I will be armed with Whittle My Middle and I won’t be afraid to use it! ;) I am going to try to do Whittle My Middle twice while away. My dad doesn’t have a stability ball, so I will just sub those exercises with other ones like reverse crunches (lifting legs up to a 90 degree angle).
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So there you have it! With a little planning, an active holiday is possible! It takes a bit of work, but I like knowing that I have an exercise P.O.A. Of course it isn’t fail proof, I actually have to DO the workouts, but I figure you guys will hold me accountable, right? ;)
I may miss a workout here and there while away and that is not a big deal or something that I will stress about. I also think it is very important to be flexible, especially when traveling. I just try to do my best and not stress about it! It will be interesting to see how my plan actually pans out.
What about you- do you ever make a POA for workouts while traveling? Do you stress about it much or just wing it?
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Thursday OSGMOM is coming to visit!!!!!!!!!! I’m so excited. I haven’t seen her since June!!! It also marks the last day of Whittle My Middle. Time goes by SO fast, I can’t believe it. I’m excited for my Before and After pics + measurements. I have been whittling all month. :)
Great tips! My sisters keep me really motivated when they’re home from school. I can’t wait for them to come back for Christmas. :)
Great tips! You’re so right on all these points. You have to plan for success!
Ice skating is such a good workout. Too bad we don’t get ice in Texas. Or, you know, cold weather. I’m from MN so I really miss this!
I always pack workout clothes when I head home because I know I can’t borrow from anyone else. The change in scenery motivates me to workout but just knowing all the holiday foods I’ll be consuming is a workout motivator as well. :)
Thanks so much for the great post! I’ve been so lazy these days…..must get cracking!! Aloha:-)
I thought I was the only person who made sure the exercise gear made it on vacation. My husband and I take motorcycle trips and I make sure I have room for my gym shoes and clothes. I can’t bring bands or anything else because space is VERY limited on the bike. But I make sure I have the bare necessities to get me through.
How intense is the Jillian Michael’s dvd workout?
My family is coming to my house this year. My sis, hubby & I are planning to head to the gym on the 24th and either gym or skating on the 26th (Great opportunity when Grandma is here to babysit!). I am off work until the 4th, so I see this as a great chance to get to the gym and a nice change from getting up a 5:00 do do my workouts like I do when I am working.
Enjoy the holidays!
I am asking Santa :) for the 30 day Shred for Christmas!!! Would you recommend level 3?
Great tips! Too bad I’ve already been way off the exercise wagon- I need to get back on soon!
Where in NB will you be? I’ll likely be in all three of the bigger cities – Fredericton, Saint John, and Moncton, at some point over the holidays. I’ve got family in all and live in Fredericton. If our schedules/location match, we should get together!
I always get passes for the gym at home. And I make it very clear to my family that for “these hours” I will be there and not to schedule anything else for me to do during that time. They’re pretty good about it, and sometimes my mom or sisters will even come with :)
Angela, thank you for the tips! It does help to have a clear plan of attack. Your skiing destination looks absolutely breathtaking! I hope you have a fantastic time!
I’m definitely setting a plan of action! I’m going to see what the family is doing and then schedule runs and strength training for three mornings a week. I’m also planning on getting people out for walks, and we are going to ice-skate until we get graceful (or one of us breaks something). I feel like I need to set a good example for my younger sisters–and I want to show them how the oldie rocks it!
Great tips for staying fit while traveling. We definitely do some of the things you mentioned. Planning is always key for us :) Though sometimes we just wing it and go with the flow, try to walk as much as possible if traveling to a new city instead of car or bus,etc. Stressing over not working out while traveling is a thing we need to work on : )
I used to be a figure skater too! :)
Love the ideas, and packing a resistance band is brilliant! They are so small and lightweight, but I’d never thought of it before. Thank you! I always try to pack everything I’ll need too, but a lot of times a quick resistance workout is the easiest way to fit it in. Push ups, sit ups, stretches, etc can all be done in tight quarters when you first wake up and before you go to bed if you’re with anti-exercise family like I was last year. I will definitely be packing a resistance band from now on though!
aww Angela I had no clue you were a Maritimer!! I should have known with how sweet of a person you seem to be :)
I’m from Bedford, NS (right outside Halifax) but I’m now living in Boston. Biiig difference! No 4 lanes of highway in NS lol. Are you from Moncton???
Oh and ex-figure skater here too :) I think every kid in the Maritimes has either been a figure skater, hockey player, or ringette player :)
I definitely have a plan! We are being given a temporary membership to the YMCA over our Christmas break from work and I have already printed off their schedule and added some of the classes to my calendar :)
I did not prepare well enough to see my sister, luckily it was only for a couple days but I made a lot of rookie mistakes and paid for them! I love the over-planning, because it’s not over-planning it’s totally necessary! I know that now more then ever! :)
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