How To Sleigh Your Training This Christmas

Christmas party season is in full swing, and those festive midweek socials are starting to stack up.

That's great, we all need to let loose every now and then, and whilst your training might take a back seat, it doesn’t have to fall off a cliff completely. The difference between stopping completely and just training less can have a huge impact on your overall health and well-being.

How good would it feel on 1st January to know that you haven’t completely undone all the good work you put in in 2022?

All you need to do is adjust your training and, most importantly, your expectations. If you know you’ve got lots of social and work events over the coming weeks - figure out what is achievable and only stick to that.

Many of us will be motivated to train hard in January, so this is all about trying to make sure we aren’t starting from zero when we get there. The good news is there are some really easy ways you can maintain your progress and let your hair down.

Let's lose the 'all or nothing' mindset

It’s all too easy to follow this mindset over the festive period - after the past few years, we all need a break - but you’ll be surprised at how much difference you can make to your body and mind if you keep even just a bit of training up. It all counts.

This time of boozing, overeating and staying up late can have a detrimental effect on both our mental and physical health, but sticking to just a few workouts over the festive period can help boost endorphins and stop us from feeling sluggish and lethargic in the New Year. Even something as simple as going for a brisk walk will help boost those happy hormones and give you a much-needed blast of Vitamin D!

It’s all about getting the balance right and having a foolproof plan to help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.

Be realistic with your training plan

Look at the month ahead as a whole, not just week by week. Book in your workouts and stick to them. And don’t kid yourself by scheduling in workouts for the day after big nights out when you know you won’t be able to find the motivation.

Instead, find gaps where you know you’ll be up for a workout, because even if time’s tight, keeping up with your routine will make you feel better and more motivated overall. You could even ask your coach to adapt your workout lengths so you can fit them in more easily - even 20 minutes of movement goes a long way.

Focus on one thing

Focus on one thing and stick to it. Don’t change your diet unless you want to, just choose something you enjoy and keep at it. Maybe it’s getting out on the frosty mornings for an early run, or working on your strength in the comfort of the gym. If you enjoy it, you’re more likely to want to do it, despite the temptation.

See food as fuel

You don’t have to focus on your diet (particularly tricky at this time of year), but if you do want to focus on nutrition, then see food as fuel rather than empty calories. Having this mindset will help you make healthier choices, even when you’re confronted with the party buffet.

Tip: If you do want to stick to a calorie deficit, here are two easy ways to avoid the high-calorie counts 👇‍

• Choose low cal drinks - It seems obvious, but switching the pints for a gin and slim or a vodka, lime and soda will effectively halve your calorie intake per drink.
• Avoid the hangover food - This is where it’s too easy to double your calorie intake from one drinking session. Throw in the loss of a day’s exercise, and your hangover day starts to cost you big time. Unfortunately, you can have the night out or the naughty meals, but you can’t have both.

Get workouts in early‍

Many people find it easiest to exercise at the start of the week with fewer distractions, so try and schedule in your workouts to take full advantage. If you can get at least one workout in by Wednesday - you’re setting up yourself for a great week and making it much easier on yourself.

Hack your habits

Hack your habits and make it as easy to follow your plan, have your workout gear ready and prepare meals as much as possible. This season will give you enough hurdles to overcome, so make things as easy as possible for yourself.

Make intentional drinking your friend

Believe it or not, hangovers are not a foregone conclusion over Christmas. However, you can have your Christmas cake and eat (some of) it. You can go out, have a few drinks, see family, let your hair down and you can wake up every day feeling:

• Refreshed and well rested
• Less stressed and anxious
• Fit and healthy

“But how?!” I hear you ask. By drinking intentionally. Here are some easy ways to do it.

1. Start with a soft drink - Sometimes the first drink goes down too quickly, try starting with a soft drink to quench your thirst before saying yes to a beer or cocktail.

2. Set a drinks limit and keep track - If you set yourself a limit of four drinks for the night, you’ll slow down and enjoy them more.‍

Tip: I also recommend switching between alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic beers or mocktails so you’re not left drinking a glass of water. Make it as easy on yourself as possible to make the best choice in the moment.

3. ‍Tell people you’re taking it slow tonight - This takes no effort and you can plan what to say, e.g. “I’ve got a lot on at the moment, so need to stay in control”

4. Drink at a slower pace, intentionally - Try not to gulp it down, by sipping on your drink and having it in your hand, people are less likely to offer you a new one.‍

If you plan for it, you can still feel fulfilled going into January

‍You can have it all, just keep up the elements of your routine that are easiest and doable, and listen to your body.

This way you can still have an amazing break, enjoy time with family and come out feeling fulfilled and healthy. And don’t beat yourself up for the odd overindulgence, it’s all about balance! You’ve got this. 👊