One day of the year
Christmas Day is one day, but unfortunately, it rarely ends up being only one day of indulging in food and drinks. In addition to that, there usually is a lower frequency of exercise as well, which in combination gives many people a couple of extra kilos to carry around once we hit January.
Research has shown that although it does not sound too bad with a couple of kilos (we can get rid of that quickly right?), people tend to never lose the extra weight they put on over the holiday season. And after a few years, there is a substantial amount of excess weight that takes us into an unhealthy weight zone.
Being on holidays is different from normal regular life; you might be away from home and have no access to the gym, your trainer, and the food you would normally eat. What you can do and NEED to do is try to be as good as possible, plan for activities that are physical and bring healthy snacks. Going to the gym is not the only training that you can do, playing a game of beach volleyball or playing tag with the kids is excellent training that is also fun!
Why a challenge can help
Sometimes it is good with a challenge to keep motivated during the holiday season. A challenge can be extra successful if you do it with a friend or a partner so that you can help each other stay motivated. We all know the song 12 Days of Christmas, with day one starting on Christmas Day, but did you know that it can also be useful for fitness purposes?
We have put together a challenge for you to do for twelve days starting Christmas day (not to worry, the first day is easy and you will have time to do it before opening your presents!). You can do it by yourself, or print off a copy for a friend/partner/child/parent etc. By making a commitment to yourself (and someone else, which can be a bit more efficient!) you are more likely to stick to the plan. Also, don’t just keep the program on your smartphone or computer, print off a copy so you can cross out what you have done, that gives you a stronger sense of accomplishment.
Now on to the program, the first day you do what it says for Day 1. Day 2 you do the first and the second day, for Day 3 it is the first, second and third, and so on. Make sure you send off a message to your challenge partner when it is done, that way you can keep each other accountable for each day. Have fun!
12 Days of Christmas Fitness Challenge
- 10 push ups
- 10 squats
- 10 chair dips
- 20 calf raises
- 20 mountain climbers
- 20 lunges
- 1-minute plank
- 20 star jumps
- 1-minute wall sit
- 10 burpees
- 20 crunches
- 15 squat jumps