Stay On Track with Your Fitness Goals During the Holidays

It’s easy to go on a downward slide with our nutrition and fitness starting around Halloween through the end of the year. With holiday parties, sweet treats, and stress galore, it can feel impossible to stay on track. And while it’s perfectly fine to indulge in a treat or skip a workout here and there, don’t make it a habit.  

Follow our personal trainer’s simple tips to keep you feeling your best during the holiday season! 

Make the Most of Your Day 

This may be a tough one for night owls. But studies show that early morning workouts with a smart snack (and plenty of water) help you lose more weight and even sleep better. Getting enough sleep is very important for your overall health! 

You’ll get that early morning energy boost and a sense of accomplishment to set up your day for success. Once you’ve spent an entire day at work or taking care of the kids plus added holiday events, the last thing you may want to do is exercise.  

Get Good Sleep > The Impacts of Inadequate Sleep 

 Get an Accountability Buddy 

Whether it’s hitting the gym, taking a walk, or powering through a virtual class, grab a trustworthy workout partner to help you stick with your fitness goals. And yes, personal training is a great route to go when you struggle with accountability, especially when you add a friend to the mix.  

Set up a realistic exercise schedule that you’ll actually stick to. Set little achievable goals that will help keep you motivated. It could be lifting your arm above your shoulder, losing 3 pounds, or gaining some additional muscle mass. These little wins might be all the motivation needed to keep you going. 

Stay on track this holiday season and into the New Year! Schedule a fitness assessment today and let our personal trainers at Dynamic Fitness & Rehabilitation develop an exercise plan just for you. Call  (813) 422-5671!  

Don’t Drink Your Calories 

From hot cocoa and hot toddies to eggnog and peppermint mocha lattes, these sugar bombs pack on the calories. It’s OK to imbibe, but our nutritionist recommends keeping those to a minimum and drinking a full 8 oz. glass of water after each drink. This will help keep you from getting intoxicated and will also keep you hydrated, flush out the toxins, and help you feel fuller longer.  

It’s easy to drink an entire day’s worth of calories in just a couple of festive drinks, and it will leave you feeling bloated, inflamed, and foggy-headed. 

Enhance Your Workout > Eating the Right Foods For Exercise 

Watch What You Wear

While athleisurewear is cute and comfy, it might hinder your fitness goals if worn around the clock. It’s easy to dress up leggings for holiday parties. But because they’re stretchy, you might not realize that the weight is creeping on, especially if you don’t regularly weigh yourself.  

So, keep yourself in check by wearing pants with a button in addition to other tailored clothing. If they’re starting to get snug, you’ll know to cut back on the holiday treats!  

Set Realistic Goals 

Don’t set yourself up for the feeling of failure this holiday season by setting impractical goals. If you know that running three miles a day or replacing mulled wine with green juice isn’t realistic, then lower your expectations. Again, set simple goals – you’ll feel awesome when you surpass them!  

We asked our nutritionist, and she suggested that instead of eating a giant slice of pie or avoiding it altogether, try having just a couple of bites instead. No one likes to feel limited. It’s okay to have a weekly ‘cheat’ meal for those special holiday parties but try to keep clean snacks on hand. Know that one meal isn’t going to make or break your fitness goals.  

Stay on Track with Dynamic Fitness & Rehabilitation  

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed. With small, attainable goals during the holiday season, you’ll be able to stay on track with your long-term fitness targets. Reach those goals with better fitness practices, a customized fitness plan just for you, and help prevent injuries with personal training and medical exercise training.  

Schedule your fitness assessment or contact our M.A.T specialist, trainer Maurice Harden to get started today; 813-422-5671!