Holiday Workout Plan: How to Stay Fit During the Holidays

Even if you exercise regularly and have well-established habits, the holiday season’s extra demands for time and attention can knock even the most rock-solid routine out of whack. According to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 45% of people report taking time off from regular exercise during the holidays, with many people also overindulging in food and drink, getting less sleep, and experiencing more stress.

Even if it doesn’t look like your normal routine, sneaking exercise in during this time of year is possible—especially if you get creative! Below, we’ll cover everything you need to know about staying fit during the holiday season, including: 

• Why working out over the holidays can be so challenging

• What are the benefits of working out over the holidays?

• 5 holiday workout plans to try out

  • The best at-home holiday workout plan

  • The best holiday workout plan while traveling

  • The best holiday workout plan for burning calories

  • The best holiday workout plan for maintaining muscle 

  • The best holiday workout plan to kickstart a new routine

• Tips for exercising over the holidays

Let’s dive in!

Why working out over the holidays can be so challenging

Even minor disruptions to your schedule this time of year can have a domino effect. If one healthy habit drops off, it can affect others. Some of the common reasons working out during the holiday season is so difficult include: 

• Traveling can increase fatigue (especially if you’re crossing time zones) and cut into or eliminate your exercise time altogether. 

• Hosting guests means prioritizing attending to their needs, visiting, and socializing over exercising. 

• Holiday parties and after-work happy hours mean skipping your usual trip to the gym. 

• Indulging in rich food, sweet treats, and holiday cocktails can make you sluggish and less likely to want to exercise. 

What are the benefits of working out over the holidays?

Aside from the benefits of working out any time of the year, exercising during the holidays does have specific perks:

• Gyms are usually less crowded at this time of year, so it’s easier to get a quick workout in. 

• Exercise can reduce the added stress of travel and holiday events.

• Maintaining even a loose version of your schedule makes it easier getting back to it when the holiday chaos settles down. 

• Exercise can boost your energy levels, helping you make it through all your extracurricular activities in one piece.

• Working out can enhance your immune system, making you less susceptible to colds and other illnesses that circulate during the winter months.

• Exercise can combat feelings of seasonal depression or the "holiday blues" by improving mental clarity, boosting mood, and enhancing sleep quality.

5 holiday workout plans to try out

Want to work out over the holidays but need some inspiration for where to start? Check out these holiday workout plans, each tailored to specific workout locations and goals. 

1. The best at-home holiday workout plan

Ultimately, the best workout plan is anything you can fit in your schedule that helps you move a bit. To get the best bang for your buck, choose an at-home workout that includes both cardio and strength.

Do each of the following exercises for one minute. Rest in between as needed and do as many rounds as you have time or energy for.

• Mountain climbers

• Push-ups

• Walking lunges

• Plank shoulder taps

• Jumping jacks

• Bear crawls

2. The best holiday workout plan while traveling

As mentioned above, traveling creates challenges for maintaining exercise routines. But doing some exercise in a hotel room or guest bedroom can be helpful. If you have space to pack resistance bands, they are a great addition to a travel workout plan. Or make use of hotel gym facilities, if available. Getting outside for some sightseeing in a new town or city is another good way to move your body. 

The following workout can be done without equipment in a small space:

• Wall sits

• Side planks

• Incline push-ups against the side of a desk or dresser

• One-arm rows with resistance bands or luggage

• Lateral lunges

• Tricep dips on the edge of a chair

Related blog: 25 Must-Try Healthy Holiday Recipes for a Delicious, Nutritious Season

3. The best holiday workout plan for burning calories

It’s good to have quick workouts in your arsenal that burn calories and counterbalance the oh-so decadent holiday food and drink. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or Tabata-style workouts are good for burning up calories in short order so you’ll still have time for celebrating. 

A cardio interval workout can be done on anything like a rowing machine or stationary bike, and goes something like this:

• Warm up for 5–8 minutes

• Work for 40 seconds

• Rest for 20 seconds

Repeat this 10 to 15 times.

Or, try this HIIT bodyweight workout: 

• Burpees: 1 minute

• Rest: 30 seconds

• Diamond push-ups: 1 minute

• Rest: 30 seconds

• Jump squats: 1 minute

• Rest: 30 seconds

• Russian twists: 1 minute

• Rest: 30 seconds

Repeat three times (or more) for an 18-minute workout.

4. The best holiday workout plan for maintaining muscle

Maintaining muscle on an inconsistent workout schedule is challenging, especially if you’re short on time. If you’re using weights, stick with multi-joint moves working several muscle groups at once. 

The following exercises can be done with dumbbells or resistance bands:

• Squats

• Lunges

• Chest presses

• Bent over rows

• Overhead presses 

Bodyweight exercises are another good option if you don’t have access to weights or time to get to the gym. Some exercises to include in your routine:

• Push-ups

• Jump lunges

• Glute bridges

• Hollow body holds

• Pike push-ups

Even if you don’t get a full-body workout each time, a little bit of strength training will help you maintain your hard-earned muscle until you can get back to a normal routine. Whether you use weights or bodyweight, do one to three sets of each exercise and rest in between as needed. 

5. The best holiday workout plan to kickstart a new routine

If your workout routine is already sporadic going into the holidays, you just need something to hold you over until you can start a more organized program. Aim for consistency rather than intensity and prioritize hydration and sleep. Try to incorporate cardio, strength, and flexibility work.

Here’s an example workout you can do anywhere:

• 15 minutes of steady cardio, such as rowing, walking, or jumping jacks.

• One set each of:

  • Push-ups or bench presses

  • Reverse lunges or leg presses

  • Bent-over rows or lat pull-downs

  • V-ups    

Tips for exercising over the holidays

• Give yourself some grace and remember, missing some workouts is not the end of the world.

• Be flexible. It’s OK to adjust your schedule and change the style or duration of the planned workout if a last-minute event pops up. 

• Get your family involved. Go for a family walk or hike, or make bodyweight exercises a game with young kids. 

• Use available resources like fitness apps.

• Use traditional holiday activities like ice skating or sledding to get a bit of physical activity. 

Breathe new life into your workout routine with Hydrow 

Exercising over the holidays helps relieve stress and boosts your mood. It also helps you stay on track making it more likely you’ll get back at it when the holiday rush is over. Be sure to balance your need to exercise with relaxing and enjoying the magic of the holidays. 

If you’re interested in quick, effective workouts, a Hydrow rowing machine fits the bill, along with Hydrow’s extensive library of workouts, including yoga, strength training, and mobility. Indoor rowers offer an immersive and efficient total-body workout, targeting 86% of your muscle groups in each rowing stroke. And, because rowing is both a cardio and strength workout, all you need is just 20 minutes to torch calories and build strength. 

Learn more about the benefits of rowing and a Hydrow rowing machine today!