After the Holiday Fitness Mistakes

Hope everyone in the U.S. had a wonderful holiday filled with good food, family, and fun! This time of year often sees fitness goals taking a backseat, with stress, packed schedules, and indulgent meals making it tough to stick to routines. Over my nearly 30 years as a coach, the holiday season has consistently been the most challenging time to keep clients motivated and help them balance celebration with their hard-earned progress.

Thankfully, my clients have taught me invaluable lessons on navigating the holidays without losing sight of fitness goals. Here are some of the most impactful takeaways to keep you grounded, healthy, and guilt-free.

Be Mindful, Not Punitive

Mindfulness doesn’t mean perfection; it means awareness. During the holidays, this awareness can help you navigate emotional triggers that often lead to overeating or skipping workouts. As Dr. Gabor Maté puts it, “Whenever we get emotionally triggered, somebody pulls that trigger. But let us always remember we are the ones carrying the ammunition.”

Start by tuning into your physical sensations. Feeling stressed? Notice your heart racing or your shoulders tensing. Harvard researchers explain that connecting with these signals helps us process emotions better, leading to healthier choices. This mindfulness can also curb overindulgence—not by avoidance, but by fostering balance. And if you do enjoy extra treats? Let go of the guilt. Punishing yourself often spirals into “forget it” mode, delaying progress further.

In a study on mindfulness training (in case you feel this sounds a bit goofy) adults with obesity were placed in a mindfulness group class for 6 week (1).  The topics of mindfulness meditation, and mindful eating were taught, with an emphasis on the awareness of body sensations when eating as well as emotional triggers when eating. Participants reported experienced increased mindfulness and more control over what they ate and how it made them feel. Those in the study also experienced decreases in weight, stress and their tendency to overeat in response to emotions, sounds like things that would be helpful during especially this time of year.

Adapt Your Fitness Routine

Holidays are a great time to modify your workouts. Can’t hit the gym four days a week? Two to three sessions still count. Feeling fatigued? Lower the intensity. Movement is what matters, not perfection. Practices like our Myofascial Integrated Movement system, or even a quick 10-minute workout can reduce stress, improve sleep, and restore balance during hectic times.

Ultimately, the holidays are about finding joy—both in celebrations and in caring for yourself. Rather than chasing “burn it off” challenges, focus on staying consistent, adjusting as needed, and entering the New Year feeling strong and motivated. Don’t fall into the most foundational mistakes that set you up to find your fitness struggling more than you should. Right now you can be thriving even if it looks differently. In order to help show you how, I wanted to give you a FREE 30 minute workout from our Myofascial Integrated Movement follow along program (don’t miss our MIM and other programs 30% with code “save30” HERE)

Our Black Friday sale is in FULL effect! Save 30% ALL throughout our online workouts, courses, certifications, and masterclasses. When you save 30% on our Ultimate Sandbags/Water Bags you will ALSO get 2 1/2 hours of follow along workouts for FREE!!! Just use code “save30” HERE

References:

1. Dalen J, Smith BW, Shelley BM, Sloan AL, Leahigh L, Begay D. Pilot study: Mindful Eating and Living (MEAL): Weight, eating behavior, and psychological outcomes associated with a mindfulness-based intervention for people with obesity. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2010;18:260–4.