Fitting in Holiday Fitness

Do you ever feel like this:

“f*&# it. I’ll start next week / after Christmas / in January.”

Friends, I work in the fitness industry… and sometimes I want to just throw in the towel on the (VERY) reasonable goals I have for myself because schedules are crazy during the holidays and it’s so easy to stay under the covers. Sometimes it seems insurmountable to get from here to there. 

If you’re overwhelmed this holiday season and have a case of the “f&*! it’s” … at the risk of someone taking away my kettlebells, I’m going to give you some advice:

Put off your fitness goals.

There are other, bigger better focus points than out-running a few (thousand) gingerbread men. Maybe you’re fighting off cold after cold. Maybe your back hurts. Maybe you just can't with the family drama right now. Or – if you’re anything like me – you might struggle to get in up in the morning and feel exhausted around 2:00 every day.

If you're nodding your head... I invite you to set aside your “fitness goals” and instead set your sights on health goals! Focus on getting up healthy every day and feeling like you have enough energy to get through the end of the day with joy.

Here are 4 ways to focus on health instead of fitness this holiday season:

1. Breathe better.  There’s a difference between breathing BETTER and breathing MORE. Focus on learning to breathe better and do it – purposely – for at least 1 minute every hour! Head here to learn how to breathe better to feel better.

2. Focus on movement instead of "fitness" – Get your heart rate up for 7 minutes can change your brain chemistry significantly! Do a 90 second warm up. 7 minutes of intervals. 90 sec cool down. 10-minutes a day is all you need to keep your body and your brain happy and healthy.

3. Eat enough protein and fat (and carbohydrates.) Track your food for a few days and make sure that you’re getting somewhere in the vicinity of 30% protein / 30 % fat / 40% carbohydrates. Fuel your brain with sips of juice or a piece of fruit + some happy fat or protein when you feel a dip in energy instead of trying to push through!! (but make sure to keep your focus on tracking nutrients and NOT calories - learn why counting calories doesn't work here)

4. Get sunlight on your face. Around here, we use a chicken brooding light like this one for 1-3 minutes at a time several times per day to simulate getting some sun when it’s just not showing up! Unlike SAD lights (which are way too close to screen glow for me) these infrared bulbs are warm and cozy.

If you're feeling amazing about your balance this holiday season : KEEP GOING!!!

If you’re struggling with motivation and feeling like you can’t catch traction: try changing your WHY for a while, and don't be afraid to focus on your health instead of your fitness.

From the Forest Coaching Team - Happy Holidays!