As a mom, we all have a little extra on our As a mom we all have a little extra on our plate this time of year and I often hear things like: "I've been slacking on exercise", "I need to work out because I ate...", "I need to get back on track in the new year", "I needed this workout because I've been stressed".

First I want to remind you that fitness and health is a journey, it's all about the big picture and not just one single moment in time. There is no need to feel guilt or make excuses for your life looking different this time of year. Indulging more than usual during the holidays isn't going to reverse your work if you've been consistent with nutrition and exercise leading up to this month. If you maintain your normal routine in between gatherings and events, you won't stray too far from your baseline. Your body wants to maintain its current status, and although a few skipped workouts might make the next one back feel a little more challenging, and although holiday treats might lead to some weight gain, you don't have to worry about it sabotaging all of your efforts if you don't move too far from your routine. I think if you keep that perspective in mind it will help you enjoy your family time away from your workouts, and also help you pick and choose the indulgences that are worthwhile to you.

Second, I'd like to encourage you to include healthy holiday traditions. As moms we want to create memories with our children, and make this time of year special for our families. There are no rules as to what those traditions need to look like. What active traditions can you incorporate? What are the most important moments to incorporate treats like hot cocoa, cookies or egg nog? What symbols represent the holidays for you outside of food?

I LOVE this time of year and here are some of the healthy traditions I share with my daughter. And to be clear, I chose these activities because they're memorable and fun...they just happen to be fairly healthy as well.

1. Night light hike: so not really a hike, but we go out after dinner and spend about 20-30 minutes walking around and looking at all of the decorated houses. That's 1-2 miles of activity.

2. Christmas tree tag: There is a large decorated Christmas tree a few blocks from us. For the last few years, we've gone out on Christmas Eve in our pajamas and chased each other around the tree. That's 5 minutes of interval training.

3. Cookie decorating and gifting: We enjoy making and decorating cookies, but then we give at least half away as gifts. We enjoy the rest but don't overindulge.

4. Christmas movie night/day: this is more of a mental health benefit...we take an afternoon or evening without guilt binge binge-watching Christmas movies. It's great downtime for both of us.

5. Holiday music dance party: In the days leading up to Christmas we choose 2-3 songs to dance to before bed every night. That’s 10-15 minutes of physical activity.

6. Crafty stockings: We decorate our stockings and instead of candy, "Santa" leaves other crafty type things like playdoh or crayons in the stocking.

7. Holiday brunch: There is no "saving our appetite for dinner". I always make sure we have a big breakfast and healthy snacks throughout the day so that dinner portions are normal for us.

8. Egg nog: My daughter loves it so there are no limits when it's in the house, but I don't keep it stocked the entire month. You could follow the same criteria with your family’s favorite holiday treats.

So remember mama, the holidays are about time together. The traditions can be “nontraditional”, it’s up to you. Happy holidays1