5 Ways to Fit Fitness in During the Holidays

The holidays are a hectic time of year. It’s hard enough to find time to sleep, let alone squeeze in a workout. But there are easy ways to fit in fitness (no matter how much shopping, wrapping and baking there is to do).

We turned to Steve Ettinger — certified fitness expert, personal trainer and author of Wallie — and he shared his top tips for fitting in exercise over the holidays:

Schedule it
With all of the extra activities and parties in your calendar, it’s important to give the same importance to fitness.  Put your weekly workouts in your schedule and you’ll find yourself less likely to skip trips to the gym.

Try interval training
When you’re crunched for time, shorten your cardio workout.  Rather than spending an hour on an elliptical or treadmill go for less time but vary the speed and intensity.  This allows you to get a more effective workout in a shorter amount of time.

Reach for resistance bands
Resistance bands are lightweight, easy to use and small enough to carry in your purse.  Whether you’re running around at home or taking a trip for the holidays, tone and build muscle no matter where you go with this portable fitness tool.

Book 30-minute training sessions
Although most gyms promote 60-minute personal training sessions, many offer 30-minute workouts as well.  A good trainer will be able to lead you through a great workout in a shorter amount of time. If you’re strapped for cash, book one or two sessions and ask the trainer to write out the workouts.  They’ll be great supplements for what you already know.

Bring the family
There are so many friends and family members to see over the holidays it can be easy to run out of time for workouts.  Instead of the standard mealtime meet-ups, have a get-together doing something active like hiking with the family or taking a bike ride with friends.