Every year, the same thing happens. November hits and people start mentally checking out of their training. “Christmas is coming, there’s no point, I’ll go hard in January.” Then January arrives, they’ve lost three months of progress, and they’re starting from scratch. Again.
Here’s a different approach: don’t stop. You don’t need to train at 100% through the holidays. But maintaining a baseline keeps you ahead of 90% of people who abandon everything between November and February.
The Maintenance Mindset
The holiday season isn’t the time to chase new personal bests. It’s the time to maintain. And maintenance is much easier than building.
Research shows that you can maintain your current fitness level with as little as two sessions per week, as long as the intensity stays reasonable. That’s it. Two sessions. You can absolutely find time for two sessions a week, even during the busiest social calendar.
Drop from four sessions to two if you need to. Cut session length from 60 minutes to 40 if you’re short on time. But don’t go to zero. Zero is where you lose everything.
Manage the Food Without Being Miserable
The holidays involve food. Good food, lots of it, and probably more alcohol than usual. Trying to stick to a strict diet through December is unrealistic and honestly, no fun.
Instead, use the 80/20 approach:
- Eat well 80% of the time: your normal meals, adequate protein, plenty of vegetables
- Enjoy yourself 20% of the time: the Christmas lunch, the work party, the New Year’s drinks
You don’t need to say no to everything. You need to say yes strategically. Have the pavlova at Christmas lunch. Don’t also have the pavlova on Tuesday night because “it’s the holidays.”
The biggest mistake people make is using the holiday season as a six-week all-you-can-eat pass. One or two big meals a week won’t derail your progress. Daily excess will.
Morning Training Beats Evening Plans
If your evenings are packed with social events (they will be), train in the morning. You’re not going to make it to a 6pm session if there’s a work Christmas party at 5. But you can absolutely make a 6am session before the day starts.
Morning training in summer is brilliant anyway. It’s light early, the temperature is perfect, and the parks are beautiful. Get it done before the world wakes up and makes demands on your time.
The Travel Workout
Heading away for the holidays? No gym needed. Here’s a 20-minute workout you can do anywhere:
- 10 push-ups
- 15 squats
- 10 reverse lunges each leg
- 30-second plank
- 10 burpees
- Rest 60 seconds
- Repeat 3-4 rounds
Do this three times over a two-week holiday and you’ll come back without missing a beat. It’s not about perfect training. It’s about not stopping completely.
Handle the “You’re So Disciplined” Comments
When you train through the holidays, people will comment. “Oh, you’re so good.” “I could never.” “Live a little!” Ignore all of it. You’re not being extreme. You’re doing two sessions a week and enjoying the rest of your time. That’s balanced. That’s sustainable. That’s what normal looks like.
The people who comment are often the same people who’ll be desperately trying to undo the damage in January. You’ll be cruising.
January: Head Start, Not Fresh Start
Imagine arriving at January 1st having maintained your fitness instead of losing it. While everyone else is starting from scratch, dreading their first session back, you’re picking up where you left off. Maybe even pushing to the next level.
That’s the payoff. Six weeks of maintenance through the holidays puts you months ahead of the restart crowd. It’s the best investment you’ll make all year.
We’re Here All Summer
Rush PT sessions run right through the holiday period. Same park, same time, same crew. If you need that accountability to keep going, we’ve got you covered.
