Fitness over the festivities

It took me many a Christmas to realise this. But here’s my take on fitness over the festivities:

Indulge in the holiday food. Have a midday beer, or 3. Forget about the step count and the training plan. And for goodness sake there’s no need to weigh yourself.

But don’t underestimate the power of staying on the move every day.

Comfort feels a lot better when it’s preceded by something hard.

That favourite dish your mum/wife/husband makes hits different when you can scoff it knowing you’ve already handled business in the gym that day. So, find a way to train in some way throughout the holiday period.

Here are some guidelines I use for myself (and encourage my clients to do the same), so I can ENJOY the festivities and not feel guilty come Jan 1st:

• Get it done early so it doesn’t interfere with celebrations.
  

• Keep it short, efficient and intense. Use supersets or circuits to cluster exercises together. While you rest one muscle group, you train another.

• Use AMRAPs. It’s a method of training that stands for As Many Rounds as Possible. Set a timer for how ever long you have (eg. 15 mins) and repeat 2 or 3 exercises over and over until the time runs out.

• Prioritise large muscle groups. This is where you get the biggest bang for your buck. Chest, shoulders, back, quads, hamstrings, glutes.
  

• Leave the logbook at home. If you usually track your lifts, maybe you’ll take a break from that this week. I’m always amazed by the pressure that’s alleviated when I don’t have to worry about performing at my best.

• Move for enjoyment. Try something new. That machine you’re usually too rushed to figure out. Or that exercise you saw on Instagram. There are no bad movements. Just do things safely and carefully.

• Spend as much time outdoors as you possibly can.

• Remember, use all that great food as fuel for a great workout. You’ll feel so much better for having done it, I promise.

Keep moving and Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!