Coaches Corner: Training During The Holidays

Hey Team! It’s getting to be that time of year again! The holidays are notorious for knocking people off their routine. The combination of your schedule filling up with family gathering and being surrounded by copious amounts of turkey, pumpkin pie, and stuffing, it may seem hard to find the time or motivation to come to the gym and train. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you find a balance between family, food, and training.

1. Set holiday training goals and make an action plan!

   Here at The Academy we are all about setting goals and making those goals come to fruition. These goals can be as small as, “I’m going to do 20 pushups every morning before I go to work.” You might recall our issue on goal setting a few months back, but in case you forgot – it’s important to not only set goals but to have a clearly laid out action plan. (What you’re going to do each day and for how long.)

2. Relax.
   

   The holidays are usually a stressful time for most people, but try to give yourself some time each day to relax. This doesn’t mean lay on the couch and eat 10 doughnuts. This means sit outside if the weather is nice and enjoy the fresh air. Or go for a short 15 minute walk around the neighborhood alone or with the dog, or with your significant other.

3. It’s okay to be flexible.

   We understand that sometimes you might schedule a run for noon on a Saturday before the family shows up for dinner at 5, but you realize you have to run some unexpected errands. Don’t panic, just reassess your schedule and find a way to fit in that workout either later in the day or the next day. Just make sure you’re not making excuses just to push your workout further into the future.

4. Moderation!

   Moderation is key to having a guilt free holiday meal. Instead of having 3 slices of pumpkin pie, tell yourself that one slice is plenty to satisfy your tastebuds. Stay aware of portion sizes too. Usually using the size of your palm and fist are good bench marks for determining proper portion size. A slice of ham the size of your palm and a dollop of mashed potatoes the size of your fist is a pretty good starting point. You can have as much veggies as you like as long as they are raw and not drenched in oil and salt.

5. Spend time with your family – exercising!

   If your family knows you’re trying to get in better shape try to include them in that goal.  After  everyone has digested their food you can suggest going for a walk around the neighborhood or playing in the yard. Or set up outdoor games that you can play with the kids if the weather is decent (dodgeball, tag, Red Rover).

6. Home cook each dish if possible.

   You may be thinking, “I don’t have time to home make each dish!” Don’t panic. This is a great way to get the rest of the family involved in your efforts to have a healthier but just as tasty feast. Instead of buying turkey stuffing from a box, make your own stuffing. Pre-made “EZ mixes” are loaded with tons of artificial ingredients and extremely high levels of sodium. You can use sites like Foodgawker.com to find healthy recipes for all kinds of meals. You could even propose a challenge to all the family members that are invited to your gathering to make a dish to share that’s home made, healthy, and not from a box. There are so many ways that you could get creative with this, but just remember that making your meals from scratch are so much better for you than buying pre-packaged ones – no matter what the box says!

7. Start a group.

   This may seem silly, but starting a group with your closest friends or a sibling is a great way to share ideas, have accountability, and make eating healthy and exercising a little bit easier during the holidays. Sticking to your goals is all about staying motivated and pushing forward. We all do better when we have someone to train with and someone to keep pushing us to keep going and to not settle for quitting.