4 Tips to Stay Fit During the Holidays

Fitness is more about building momentum and persistence than anything else.

If you think about National Fitness Day (Jan. 1) -- when the world makes resolutions, only to be off the rails a month later -- why not build some momentum now in the fall and start of winter, then maintain it through the holidays, when you need it the most? 

Most Americans gain nearly five pounds from October through December. I think this is the best time of the year to build back your training routine, as this quarter is the worst for becoming sedentary and eating snacks all day. 

Here are some reasons why this time is so critical, yet so perfect to build a new fitness routine:

1. Season of change

Fall is the season of change for many reasons. The children are back at school, and the weather is starting to break from the hot, humid days of summer. There is little excuse not to get outside and move when the weather is this nice for the next few months. We are all getting out of summer mode and starting to refocus. Since you have to make the change anyway, add fitness to the schedule again if you were lax about it during the previous few months.

2. Shorter days

The only downfall to the fall season is that the days are getting shorter, and feeling like working out when it is pitch black at 6 a.m. or after 6 p.m. can be difficult. If you are an early morning or late evening workout person, the solution is to get some quick, rather intense workouts done during those last 30 or fewer minutes. Maybe add in a lunchtime walk and focus on relaxing and breathing. Also for quick workouts, mixing in fast five-minute sets of cardio with a fast cycle of weights and calisthenics for 3-4 sets can be a great way to still fit it in if you are crunched for time or daylight.

3. Sports fans beware

Many people actually become less active during this change of seasons and tend to watch many hours of sports a week. If you are one of the millions who can watch two solid days of football games and top it off with baseball playoffs, you may want to pull the stationary bike or dumbbells into the living room.

This is prime time to gain weight from game-time snacking, beers, sodas and being sedentary for two consecutive days. If you are planning on a big day of watching sports, make sure you have earned it by working out or doing yard work in the morning before games.

4. Go into the new year with momentum

Like a lion, not a lamb. Having a solid foundation of a few months under your belt before getting into the New Year's resolution craziness will help you make the transition into the spring much easier next year. Most people have a difficult time losing weight during the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah periods, where feasts and holiday treats are abundant.

It takes discipline. If you can make it through this period and not gain a pound, you are ahead of the curve. Make that your pre-new year's goal, and if you can drop a few pounds now, you may start the cycle and see weight loss during the most difficult period of the year. This can help tremendously with your confidence with your fitness and health into the new year.

If you think about it, there is something to focus on each quarter of the year. The New Year's resolution phase can get you going again. During the spring, people start realizing they need to be better fit for the beach and pool or wearing shorts during the summer. Summer days are long, and getting in extra physical events that burn calories are relatively easier.

The fall can be one of the most important times of the year not to drop your workout habits. Restarting with a new focus to make it through the change of seasons and the holidays with a fitness focus is a good plan going into the new year. Then we just repeat. These years fly by, and you can be a different person in a year with persistence and some quarterly focus.

Some ideas can be found for free in the "45 Day Beginner Program" (PDF) for beginner workouts. For others, see the article ideas below or the Stew Smith Fitness Store for intermediate and advanced training programming.

Related articles:

• Fight Holiday Weight Gain
• New Year -- New Goals -- Twelve Months of Fitness
• New Year Resolutions That Worked
• Fall Workouts -- Intermediate/Advanced
• More Tips to Fight Weight Gain

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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