Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who have some upcoming holiday travel plans. You are in the U.S. and you are planning on taking off either at the end of this week or early next week for the U.S. Thanksgiving. What things do you need to keep in mind with your workouts to make sure you still get your workouts in despite being on the road and it being the holiday season?
1) Schedule Your Exercise
Tip Number One for Exercising During Holiday Travel: Schedule your exercise. Look ahead to get some idea of what your schedule will be like while you are traveling. Take 20 minutes to brainstorm and write down in your schedule what you are going to do for exercise each day.
Action Step: Pull out your calendar right now and block out 30 minutes every day to get a workout in. This is the first step in making sure that your workouts get done.
Related: Short on time? Here’s how to exercise!
2) Get Your Workouts In Early
Tip Number Two for Exercising During Holiday Travel: Get your workouts in early. Your holiday days are going to be filled with being with family and friends, eating and drinking in ways and quantities that you may not normally, and likely a different sleep schedule. Give yourself the best chance of getting your workouts in each day by exercising first thing in the morning so you can have the rest of the day so you have the rest of the day to celebrate and enjoy being with the people you are around.
Action Step: Wake up 30 minutes before everybody else so you can get your workout in while they sleep. Then, once they wake up, you are ready to be with everybody and join in on the festivities.
Related: 3 Exercise Tips For An Active Vacation
3) Don’t Use Exercise As Repentance
Tip Number Three for Exercising During Holiday Travel: Don’t use exercise as repentance for your actions. So often we hear people saying, “I need to go for a run because I am going to have a big meal later,” or, “I need to workout because I ate too much last night.” Exercise should not be used as a punishment or an equalizer for how you eat during the holidays. Instead, keep your exercise focused on staying strong and improving your health, not as a punishment for your prior actions.
Action Step: Remember that exercise is a stress for your body, which means if your body isn’t feeling as well as it normally is because of your food choices, you should not workout as hard as your normally do. Getting a workout in is still of the utmost importance to boost and maintain your health, but don’t use it as a way to try to burn off the extra calories you consumed.