How can I fit in exercise over the holidays?

The holidays are a busy time and can make it challenging to fit fitness into your schedule. During the holidays there are a few strategies you can use to keep your fitness goals intact. Studies show that fitness can be maintained even when performing very short bouts of exercise. In fact, something as simple as a short 10-minute training circuit can help you maintain your current fitness level.

Other strategies include simply being more active in your daily life to compensate for a lack of time at the gym. Park far away from shops while out doing holiday shopping or running errands, take stairs instead of elevators, and walk to coworkers' offices to talk instead of sending emails. By combining short workouts with increased activity in your daily life you can maintain your current fitness levels over the holidays.

The holidays can be such a busy time - parties, shopping, travel - that you may feel you don’t have time to exercise. However, exercise during the holidays may be even more important than usual. Research studies have found that heart attacks rise at Christmas and New Year’s, and one theory explaining the phenomenon is that the holidays may be a time when we abandon our routines (often for less healthy ones). Exercise can also help you maintain your weight and ease the stress and depression that are common during the holidays. Stress and depression both - in addition to being serious concerns on their own - appear to contribute to heart disease.

Try the tips below for making sure you continue to exercise over the holidays. Your heart and overall health will benefit.

• When you “don’t have time” over the holidays to exercise, the best strategy is to build shorter but more frequent periods of physical activity into your day - 10 minutes two to three times a day.
• Walk whenever you can. Brisk walking while you are shopping for gifts or groceries counts. Park the car at the farthest end of a parking lot.
• Take the stairs instead of escalators or elevators while shopping at the mall.
• Do more housework, like scrubbing, mopping, vacuuming, etc. You can think of house cleaning for holiday guests as an opportunity to also get your daily exercise.

Instead of trying to cram your regular workout into a totally overscheduled season, do 10-minute bursts of activity when you can. Going to the mall for last-minute shopping? Do what you always swear you will: Take the stairs instead of the escalator, and park at the far end of the parking lot. Got 10 minutes while dinner is cooking? Put on your favorite fast music and dance like a maniac. Need a stress break at work? Walk around the building two or three times. A few mini workouts like these will deliver the same mind-body benefits as a full 30-minute routine.

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It is a challenge, but it can be done. I would suggest isolating your biggest obstacles and then formulating a plan that works for you. For example: If time is an issue- try short intervals at home or at the gym (it is amazing what can be done in 10 minutes), maybe hire a qualified trainer to come to your house or work. If travel is an issue, check out TRX training or bodyweight intervals that allow you to train quickly and with very little equipment. If energy is a limiting factor, don't overdo it- sleep well, eat well, and work out with short, yet effective workouts. If boredom is an issue, try something new, a class, or workout with some friends. Lastly, beware of perfectionism, it is so easy to miss a workout and get discouraged and judge yourself, but just pick it up the next day, no worries.