5 quick (christmas) fixes when you can’t get to the gym
Life is busy and at this time of year exercise seems to be the victim of a packed schedule. Your regular workout routine is replaced by a party, quick Christmas drink or Christmas present shopping.
What can I say, these things happen to us all and it can be very demotivating.
In order to keep on track with your fitness over the busy season here are a few quick fixes that you can deploy when life gets in the way.
1. Use your lunch break
Getting to the gym just isn’t happening so try using your lunch break more wisely. Whether you have 30 minutes on an hour, there are plenty of ways to use this time to your advantage. If you’re fortunate enough to work near a gym (or have on-site fitness facilities) then why not nip in for a short workout or why not attend a class or go for a swim.
Not near a gym? Head out to the nearest park for a workout or go for a run / walk.
Getting away from your desk is a must – you will feel better for it.
2. Watch what you eat
This isn’t the easiest thing what with all the sweeties, chocolates and mince pies lurking about. Being at work and making better food choices are not always the best of friends and your healthy eating plan is often flies out the window.
Don’t sabotage yourself. If exercise is not going to be part of your day, then these are key days to make the right food choices for your goals. Stick with lean meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts. It’s just as quick and easy to buy some lean chicken and vegetables / salads as it is to fill up on processed junk.
3. Back to (exercise) basics
Good training programmes, the holiday season and time really don’t get along in December. So you need to find ways to make the most of your time.
If you are able to get to the gym (but time is tight), you can always adapt your programme to suit your needs. For example, instead of doing 5 sets you can drop it down to 3 sets and try using a little more weight. Or you could stick with 5 sets and have lest rest (so you work faster)!
If you exercise after work, why not get up a little earlier and head to the gym before work, leaving time after work to do the shopping etc.
If you’re at home, watching your favourite programme and the adverts come on. What do you do? I bet most of you do nothing or make a cup of tea and have a mince pie. Next time try this: during the ad-break perform 20 squats, 20 press-ups and 20 jumping jacks. Repeat for every ad-break in a one-hour programme. Feel free to change the exercises: lunges and stair runs are a great choice!
4. Make-up day……it’s what weekends are for
Where did the week go? It’s Friday and I haven’t done any exercise (we hear you all saying). You’ve managed to get to the end of the week and not worked out as much as you’d have like (if at all).
Use your weekend to get a workouts in. Most gyms are open over the weekend and they are quieter than week days, so you can avoid all that waiting around for equipment. Don’t want to go to the gym? Why not dust off the bike in the garage, go for a long walk with the family, go swimming, try a brand new activity……the choices are endless and you might just find that you enjoy it!
5. Don’t beat yourself up
You don’t have to tell us how annoying it is when you miss a workout. But remember, it’s not the end of the world. If you skip a day, don’t worry; just plan another time to get a workout in or work that much harder the next time you’re in the gym.