How to Get Back in Shape After the Holidays

Returning from holiday festivities requires more than simply getting back into a workout regimen; it involves returning to a diet consisting of whole foods, lean proteins and healthy fats that promote good health.

Avoid crash dieting and focus on providing your body with whole, home cooked meals and smart snacks – these simple steps will help you return to shape after the holidays!

Set Realistic Goals

As you reengage with fitness, it’s essential that you set realistic goals. Crash diets and extreme workout regimens may produce quick short-term gains; however, these cannot be sustained for extended periods and could even endanger your health in the long run. Instead, focus on making incremental changes that you can stick with over time.

From office holiday parties to running endless errands, the holidays can be incredibly busy and chaotic. Your workout routine may have fallen by the wayside during this month; to stay consistent with it and find motivation again, schedule your workouts ahead of time – studies have proven that when we commit and set a specific date for something we are more likely to follow through.

Reward yourself for sticking with your fitness plan by celebrating small victories along the way – whether that means hitting the gym regularly, reaching your weight-or-body composition goal, or meeting daily water and exercise requirements – be proud of each achievement you celebrate!

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Stay Hydrated

Everyday we hear that drinking enough water is crucial to good health; not only will it aid with muscle growth and digestion, but it’s also crucial for skin maintenance and overall skin hydration. After holidays or long travel days it is especially important to drink lots of water in order to rebalance your system and feel at your best again.

Drinking plenty of water when starting back up an exercise program is especially essential when restarting. While you might feel pressure to “catch up”, the best approach is to ease slowly into it by beginning with shorter and lighter exercises before gradually increasing duration and intensity as soon as you feel ready.

Hydration is also essential before and after workouts to assist your muscles with recovering after an intensive session and prevent dehydration in the future. A reusable water bottle like KSP Team favorites Yeti Rambler or Stanley Tumbler makes bringing water with you easily wherever life may take you.

Resuming a well-balanced diet after the holidays is also key to helping your body rebalance itself. Focus on selecting foods rich in essential nutrients like lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as a means of revitalizing yourself physically and psychologically.

Avoid skipping meals as this could lead to later binges or overeating during subsequent meals. Also make sure that after working out you refuel properly – your body needs fuel after exerting itself! For additional motivation when getting back on track try signing up for or creating your own one month fitness challenge or starting one of your own; these challenges provide goals to work toward and provide a sense of achievement when achieved!

Get Enough Sleep

Returning from vacation, getting sufficient sleep is of utmost importance for success in work or school. A restful night’s slumber will energize and prepare you to tackle your goals more easily while making healthy diet and exercise habits simpler to stick to.

If your sleeping patterns were off during the holiday season, adjust your bedtime and wake-up times to get back into a routine by shifting bedtime and wake-up times accordingly. Avoid setting an unrealistic goal of returning to your normal wake-up time in one day; rather set a goal of going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for seven nights until your regular wake-up time has returned.

Start exercising during the day to increase your energy and ensure a better night’s rest. Studies show that those who engage in physical exercise during their days sleep more soundly at night, stay asleep longer periods, and experience greater levels of energy throughout their days1.1

If you’re finding it hard to stay motivated when exercising, why not partner up with a friend or try a different fitness class? Additionally, find an online fitness community for support and accountability!

Schedule Your Workouts

Even the most dedicated workout routines may take a hit over the holidays. While this is understandable, it’s essential that recovery be started as soon as possible; regardless of how many indulgences occur over this season of indulgences. No matter what may have gone down during those few indulgences over the holiday period, one month’s progress cannot be lost overnight! Resuming small habits you developed throughout the year such as portion control, eating rainbow-based foods, prioritizing restful sleep and restful recovery should help ease back in before moving ahead with progress vs losing months worth of training progress overnight!

Start by setting aside time in your calendar or phone app for exercise sessions. Try spreading out workouts throughout the week so that if something unexpected comes up at short notice, there will still be time for even a quick 10-minute workout session.

Once back at the gym, it is wise to ease into exercise gradually by starting with shorter and lighter exercises. Don’t try lifting maximum weight, running fastest mile times or exercising every day on day one back; doing so could lead to injury and decrease motivation.

Keep this in mind and you’ll see that fitness is about feeling strong and healthy first, then aesthetics will follow suit. When approaching fitness this way, holidays don’t have to be seen as an obstacle in your fitness journey but as an opportunity to refocus goals more realistically so they keep motivating you as we head into 2019. This will keep you motivated until 2019 arrives – hopefully seeing you get there faster!

Don’t Quit

However, while it can be tempting to stop exercising during the holidays, this would not be in your best interests. Instead, commit to resume healthy habits when you return home: eating a balanced diet (containing plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats), drinking enough water and prioritizing sleep as well as returning to your regular workout regimen – these little improvements will add up over time to create positive change for both health and fitness!

As soon as you’re back into exercise, make sure to listen to what your body needs and take it slow. Jumping right back in can lead to injuries or burnout; start out slow with lighter exercises before gradually increasing intensity as needed.

After the holidays are over, it’s also essential that you maintain a nutritious diet. Even if you indulged at some holiday parties, make sure most of your meals include nutritious ingredients to maintain energy levels and stay on track with fitness goals.

The holidays are an opportunity to come together with loved ones and take time for yourself, too. Take the opportunity to relax your mind, body, and spirit by scheduling time for yourself via reading, yoga, meditation or walking in nature; these activities will help reduce stress while simultaneously aligning you more closely with yourself and returning with renewed vigor to fitness goals.