Bring on the holidays and all things pumpkin spice, evergreen, and snow-covered with a healthy dose of stress and overindulgence on the side (am I right?!).
Don’t get me wrong—I love this season. After many years of living overseas, I am thrilled to spend this holiday season in the Philadelphia Area, closer to our family. While this season brings lots of joy and celebration, it also dishes up a fair amount of stress. ‘Tis the season to forgo our usual exercise and nutrition routines for bubbly-filled parties and heavy holiday favorites. So, how do we survive the holidays with our sanity and our fitness intact?
First off, try to enjoy this season! If you want to partake, don’t deprive yourself; have that glass of champagne and enjoy your favorite holiday treats. Life is just too damn short not to have a gingerbread cookie (or two)!
Plan, Plan, Plan
This is the season when we are all pulled in a hundred directions. You need to plan and prioritize your activities to get the most out of the season with the least stress.
If you know that your usual studio and gym-filled evenings will soon be replaced with holiday cocktail parties and family gatherings, find another time when you can get your sweat on. That may mean getting up earlier for a studio session before work or a quick sweat session during your lunch break. Schedule your sessions for the rest of 2024, and make fitness dates with friends. You have got this!
Trust me, your emotional and physical health and your family and friends will thank you later if you can ensure you get those stress-reducing, endorphin-boosting sweat sessions in the next few weeks!
Remember that scene from Legally Blonde when Elle (standing up for her client Brooke, a famous fitness personality who is on trial for murdering her husband) says, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.” Well, let that be your mantra for this holiday season. If you tend to feel overwhelmed and stressed during the holidays, manage that stress (so you don’t shoot (figuratively) your husband, mother-in-law, etc) with some exercise.
If Pilates is your go-to endorphin-boosting activity, reach out to me so we can book your holiday fitness sessions! Or try my Online Membership for fun and challenging Pilates classes you can do anytime, anywhere!
