Planning for and Getting Back to Your Fitness Routine Post Holidays

The holidays can be a hard time of the year for maintaining your regular workout schedule. Whether you are traveling or staying local, chances are you are dedicating more time to visiting with family and friends during this holiday season. It might also become significantly more difficult to stick to a certain diet with all the food and drink that will be readily available.

If you do end up falling a bit off track as far as your diet and exercise are concerned, then there are some steps that you can take when you return. Below are some tips to help you return to your fitness routine post-holidays.

Preventative Measures

The best defense can be a stellar offense. Even though you are going to be on the move and may not have the time to dedicate to a full session, you can still get some exercise in during this hiatus. It might be a little easier if you try to focus on physical activity during the first part of the day for about 30 minutes. This should ensure that you can feel positive about completing a workout, despite what may come throughout the rest of the day.

Choose Carefully

You will probably have your fair share of choices when it comes to what is available to eat during the holidays. You don’t necessarily need to cut out all fats or sugars, but you should make wise choices. This doesn’t mean to avoid seasonal treats, like your parent’s super special Christmas cookies. However, when it comes to the store-bought items, you might not want to completely blow your diet in order to eat something that can be readily available during any other time of year.

Remember Your Goals

Keep your goals in mind when you are out with family and friends. It can be really helpful to have a regular reminder of what you are working towards. This can keep you focused on the end result rather than indulging in anything that will make returning to your normal routine much harder. It should also

Take Your Time

When you do return to regular exercise after the holidays, your body will most likely have done a bit of deconditioning which is normal. In order to ensure that you are getting the most out of any physical activity, you should be increasing the length as well as intensity gradually. Providing your body with this time to acclimate should reduce unnecessary stress or strain on muscles and connective tissues. This should result in decrease muscle fatigue as well as acute or even chronic inflammation which are common contributing factors to injury.

Stretch it Out

A good stretch after your workout can go a long way. Stretching regularly after exercise, while your muscles are warm, should assist with improving circulation and flushing out lactic acids that contribute to muscle soreness. The increased blood flow to your muscles can help boost the ability and time it takes for your muscles to recover. Stretching can also play a significant role in improving your range of motion and flexibility post workout, further reducing the risk of injury.

You may also want to consider the use of therapeutic devices such as massage balls or foam rollers. The best massage ball should help apply pressure to release trigger points, reducing tension and improving circulation. The pressure provided can also help with driving lactic acids from muscles. Tools such as these are also portable and discreet, so you can use them wherever you may find yourself.

Alter Nutrition

You might have had a hard time sticking to your healthy diet over the holidays, and that’s ok. However, with your return to your normal fitness routine, you should begin to properly fuel your body for optimal performance. You should make sure that you are always staying hydrated as well as adding good proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to your diet. In order to refuel after a workout, you should be eating or drinking something inside of 15 minutes. The appropriate nutrition should ensure that your body has ample energy to meet the demands of your workouts and keep you going afterward.

Change of Perspective

When you return to your normal schedule after the holiday season, your first instinct may be focusing on a large amount of cardio to shave off any unwanted weight. Instead, you may find it helpful to change your perspective slightly. You can easily incorporate conditioning into your strength training routine in order to promote muscle growth while achieving improved cardiovascular fitness. By doing this, you should be able to shave off those holiday meals, and snacks much more efficiently. It should also help you make progress when it comes to the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Bio

Joe Fleming is the President at ViveHealth.com. Interested in all things related to living a healthy lifestyle, he enjoys sharing and expressing his passion through writing. Working to motivate others and defeat aging stereotypes, Joe uses his writing to help all people overcome the obstacles of life. Covering topics that range from physical health, wellness, and aging all the way to social, news, and inspirational pieces…the goal is help others “rebel against age”.