The holiday season is right around the corner.
We haven’t even made it to Thanksgiving and Christmas music is already playing on the radio! Stores are filled with holiday treats and with Halloween, still visible in the rear-view mirror the onslaught of candy and treats has already begun! This is a particularly hard time of year to stay focused and committed to those fitness goals you set back in January, so I would like to offer three strategies you will hopefully find helpful in keeping you on track as we head into the holiday season.
#1) Review, revise, rewrite your fitness goals.
Take a moment to go back and look at what you said you would do back in January. Are you on track? If you’re not (and after a wild 2020, who is?) rewrite your goal based on what you hope to accomplish in the next 6 1/2 weeks. Make the goal specific, measurable, and attainable. Example: I will go to the gym three times a week or I will run “x” miles between now and December 31st. Avoid overcommitting or trying to do too much, this is already a stressful time of year, just maintaining is itself a worthy goal. (Note: I suggest avoiding weight loss centered goals during this time. Since so many of the festivities this time of year are focused around food, make a plan to enjoy the delicacies in moderation, while focusing your goals around a fitness routine to help mitigate any weight gain. Remember: Maintaining in and of itself is a worthy goal.)
#2) Find someone to hold you accountable.
This person could be a workout buddy who commits to working out with you, a coach, personal trainer, family member, or friend. Ideally, this person is positive, supportive, and devoted to seeing you meet your fitness goals. Make sure they know your goal, that you both know how you will track your progress, and schedule a good time for progress check-ups. If you will be working out together, all the better. Knowing there’s a friend or two waiting for you to work out at 5 am makes getting out of bed that much easier (and rewarding).
#3) Join an online fitness challenge.
Social Fitness Apps like Strava and Garmin Connect offer a wide variety of online fitness challenges. Some of these are designed to be a competition between you and your friends, while others are badges you can earn. These range from walking a certain number of steps in the month, completing a set distance or elevation, or trying to burn the most calories. Find one that will be mildly to moderately challenging and commit to getting it done!