The last few months of every year, normally go a little something like this. Halloween rolls around and you tell yourself you’ve been super committed to your health and fitness the last 10 months, so why not just take a few extra days off from the gym next week? The problem with this is, that only 3 weeks after Halloween is Thanksgiving. And then 3 weeks after that is Christmas! See where I’m going here?

Suddenly a day or two turns into a week off from the gym. Then you get down on yourself and say, I will just go all out and wait until Jan 1st to start fresh. What’s the harm in that? So you put your fitness on hold. There will always be that one upcoming event where you tell yourself you can take a few days off from the gym and then get right back into it. The holidays are especially hard because you want to spend time with your friends and family over great food and drinks. I get it, life sometimes gets in the way of your fitness goals. Here’s my biggest piece of advice to stay motivated.

We are creatures of routine. Try to stick to your routine as much as possible (even if you’re traveling). It only takes 10-15 minutes to get a good sweat on. If you can’t make it into the gym that doesn’t mean your health and fitness need to suffer.

We are also goal-oriented. Set a realistic goal over the next 1-2 months. For example, I want to do a total of 20 Boulder CrossFit classes between now and Jan.1st. Once we have that set in our minds, we will inherently want to hit that goal.

Last but not least, don’t get too down on yourself. Treat yourself to a cookie or two and don’t worry about skipping a few extra days here and there. It’s all about moderation during the holidays. Keep the drinks and unhealthy food to a minimum and that will transfer over to your fitness in the gym.

Happy Holidays everyone. Be safe and enjoy the much-needed time off with your friends and family.

-Zach T.