Your Holiday Toolkit Part 2: Movement
The holidays tend to be a time of booked schedules, late evenings, and extra hours spent traveling. This can make it especially difficult to fit in exercise. Here are a few tools to make it easier!
Short Workouts Count
If you are someone who typically exercises for an hour, it can seem like it isn’t worth it to fit in a 10–20-minute workout, but those small bursts of exercise can still improve health and relieve stress. Search for some short Pilates or Yoga classes on YouTube, jump rope for a few minutes or do some air squats while you are refilling your tank at the gas station. It all adds up!
Invite Your Friends and Family to Join You
Perhaps it is time to create a new tradition of a dance party before gift opening or a spirited game of football on turkey day. Even a game like Charades can get you up and moving.
Engage in New Types of Activities
Your gym may be closed on a holiday making your typical workout unavailable. This is a great time to try something new at home or outside. You may have been wanting to learn how to skate for years and now is the time to build up the courage to ask your friend to teach you. It is so good for our brains to learn a totally novel movement. A few years ago, I went Nordic skiing for the first time with my best friend. I got an even better workout than she did because of how inefficient my movements were!
Gentle Movement is Helpful Too
Taking some time to recover is a great thing to do during the holidays. When we are in a rush, it is easy to skip stretching and breathing. Doing some mobility work while watching your favorite holiday movie can feed two birds with one seed.
About the Author:
Alli Erdahl is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing at Orchid Integrative Medicine in Chaska, MN. Dr. Erdahl specializes in Women’s Health and Mental Health. Prior to medical school, Dr. Erdahl worked as a personal trainer and she has a passion for mindful movement.
