Sticking to Training During the Holidays
Photo by mysza831
Has life gotten incredibly busy yet? Well, okay, maybe that is a stupid question. Of course, life is busy in general, but during the holiday season for most of us it gets even busier. That makes it tough to stick to training especially if you have a big event coming up soon after the New Year.
As committed as we may be to our training programs, life has a tendency to get in the way a bit more during this time of year. It isn’t always because of things you feel you must do either. Maybe it is things you truly want to do. It’s difficult to choose a run over spending time baking cookies with your kids or enjoying an evening with extended family or your significant other. It’s a constant struggle for me, especially now that I am planning to run a ½ marathon in March.
Here are a few of the barriers that often come up during this time of year.
- Don’t want to sacrifice family time for a workout.
- Traveling leaves you without easy access to a trail, course or gym, or your running buddies.
- Your legs already ache from all the baking, decorating and shopping.
- Cold weather can be less appealing and harder work to prepare for not to mention slippery snow and ice.
These are a few things which can help you overcome them.
Evaluate how you view your exercise. Why do you exercise or train for events? There are many, many reasons. Is stress relief one of them? It is for me. There is no question this is a stressful time of year. When I view activity as making me a better person to be around I’m more motivated to fit it in. This goes for others in the family too. Even if my husband has to sacrifice some time with me to run it is worth it because it relieves a lot of the stress he can feel after a long day at work.
Choose a different workout time. Changing up your schedule may be necessary this time of year to fit in all that you need to accomplish. Do your best not to skimp on sleep, but maybe your evening workout needs to switch the morning, or you can take full advantage of your lunch hour. Even if these aren’t your favorite workout times it may be worth it for a few weeks. I’m an evening exerciser, but mornings turn out to be much better during this time of year even though I’m not exactly a morning person.
Research before you hit the road. Don’t wait until you arrive at your holiday travel destination to find a place to run, walk or bike. Check out the National Recreation and Park Association to find parks or trails nearby, or seek out some local gyms that might offer week memberships during the holidays. If you enjoy running in groups search out running clubs in the area. You might be able to join them for an early morning workout during your trip.
Switch up the routine. Now is the time to step up the cross training. You are already exhausted from the holiday prep and the same old workout can become monotonous making it harder to commit to. Along with your runs or walks try out an elliptical, go for a hike, or turn a family get together into a football game.
Invest in the right gear. Wearing proper cold weather exercise gear is a necessity if you want to work out outdoors and live in, or travel to, a location that’s a winter wonderland in December. If you need some help with your wardrobe Fitness Magazine has ideas for women and Runner’s World has ideas for both women and men.
Take a day off. Cardiovascular gains can decrease within a few days so it’s understandable that you don’t want to take an extended period off from your training. However, one day isn’t going to hurt. In fact, it may help, especially if you are spending that time with loved ones and doing something you enjoy or if a heavy snow storm could make running or walking outdoors dangerous. If the latter, you’ll reduce risk of injury. For the former, your body will have time to physically recover while your mental wellness will benefit from the time together.
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