Holiday Workout Time!

Ready to stay on track through the holidays? It’s Holiday Workout Time! I’m sharing my holiday workout routine, so you can do it with me or add a new twist to your own routine. Make it fun and keep it short and sweet so you can get back to family time and pie baking! 

So this post may be coming out of nowhere for you or perhaps you’ve been waiting for it…

Either way, I hope you love it and consider joining me!

I love making my own workout circuits, High Intensity Interval style, during the holidays. Mostly because I travel a LOT and I need to feel like my workouts are for ME and like I’m staying on track, even while surrounded with a billion pies.

Although I love my Tone It Up workouts, during the holidays I tend to get in a funk. This year, however, that’s not going to happen. I’ve made a fun, FAST holiday workout routine that will get me all the way through Christmas, and perhaps New Years depending on how many weeks I feel like carrying it.

So, here it is! Super simple, just pull out your calendar and devise a schedule that works for you. There are two circuits. You will switch Circuits every other week (week one, Circuit One; week two, Circuit Two; week three, Circuit One…you get it). You will perform a Circuit, 4 mornings a week (FIRST thing in the morning), and 2 mornings a week you will recover with a yoga DVD (or a 20-60 min yoga routine from YouTube or a class; I have a Tara Stiles 20 min wakeup flow that I’m using). You have 1 morning that you choose to do whatever your heart desires (rest, walk, run, whatever).

 

(AMAP= As Many As Possible, while maintaining good form)

 

So, I know what you’re thinking: where’s the cardio?

I tend to take a Spin class on Wednesday nights and walk my dogs on short walks every few days. But I don’t want to put the pressure of long cardio sessions on my plate during these busy holiday months. If I put long cardio sessions on my calendar I’m more likely to skip my toning workouts out of pure exhaustion.
These short, HIIT Circuits keep your body in a habit of waking up, burning fat, and burning all day long. Yoga or stretching on your other mornings keeps your muscles recovering. This is the perfect balance. (Plus, during bursts of quick routines IS a form of cardio. Don’t worry, your heart will be pumping fast!)

Here’s an example of a week with your Circuits:

(my week, because I have particular yoga classes I like to catch)

Monday: 

AM: Circuit 1

 

Tuesday:

AM: Circuit 1

PM: yoga flow class (noon)

 

Wednesday:

AM: Yoga (20 min home wakeup flow)

PM: Spin class (6:00pm, 60 min)

 

Thursday:

AM: Circuit 1

 

Friday:

AM: advanced yoga class (8:30 am, 90 min)

PM: foam roll

 

Saturday:

AM: Circuit 1

 

Sunday:

AM: dealer’s choice!

 

Yes, some days I’m working out twice. But no pressure if I can’t make it to my classes! I love them, but sometimes they don’t work into my schedule or I just can’t afford them that week. Either way, I have my at-home workouts scheduled and DONE first thing in the morning. And, the best part is, I have NO need to go to a gym. There’s no reason for me to not get this done.

Did you notice that my Circuits take 10-11 minutes! Yup, that’s it. You totally have 10 minutes in the morning, first thing, before you’re barely awake. Just push yourself for the whole 60 seconds for each move and I promise you’ll be feeling it! And if you can’t make it to 60 seconds for each move, make it a game, striving to do better each time you do your Circuit!

 

Let me know what your workout plan is for the holidays! Are you going to try my Circuit workouts?

Pin the Circuits so you’ll use them; print them, take them with you as you travel! Don’t have dumbbells or kettlebells where you’re traveling? Do them without weights or use found objects (soup cans, water jugs, detergent jugs)! 

Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer, I just have been working out for YEARS and making my own routines for quite some time. This one was devised by me, using a template and guidelines from Jillian Michaels.