Don't Ask For This Gift For Mother's Day

TIME ALONE

Okay, so if you really need some time alone on Mother’s Day, I’m not saying you’re wrong for asking for it. However, my hope for you is that if time to yourself is important to you, that you don’t treat it as a special occasion. 

Moms tend to put things like “me time” “gym time” or “girls’ night out” into a specific category. Although this category doesn’t have a name, items in this category often make you feel guilty for requesting it, and anxious trying to find the time, and those items are characterized as a luxury rather than a necessity. So I guess the point I’m really trying to make is that whether it’s time alone, time for exercise, or time with your friends, don’t categorize it to your partner or family as a “gift”. All of those items in our unnamed category contribute to your well-being, which is something I’m sure you’d like to value for a lifetime and not just on holidays. Again, if time alone on Mother's Day is what you really want/need, I hope you get it. But, my wish for you is to meet your needs year-round and find a different, unique, and special way to celebrate our well-deserved holiday.

Looking for some active ways to spend the day?

• Walk to your favorite coffee shop sit and drink your favorite drink (alone), and then bring back some of your family’s favorite treats to share.

• Walk (or stroll peacefully) around a new neighborhood, park or public garden

• Go on a family bike ride and stop along the way for ice cream or a picnic

• Play a round of mini golf with the kids (or wearing your baby)

• Try a new fitness class (maybe with your own mom)

• Purchase a fitness-related gift for yourself (Private/small group training, new home gym equipment, sign up for a 5K run or walk)

• Indoor rock climbing

• Long walk on a paved hiking trail (ideally with someone else pushing the stroller)

Whether you spend time alone or active with your family, Happy Mother’s Day!

Ashley

3 Holiday Fit Tips

As if your to-do list wasn’t long enough already, now add maintaining the holiday gathering calendar, planning/prepping more meals, and making sure your kids experience family traditions...phew, it’s no wonder our perspective on fitness changes a bit this time of year. Here are a few reminders as we approach the holiday season.

1. January is not your start date: From November through December life gets busy and fitness might be a lower priority, but do yourself a favor and don’t see these last two months of the year as pointless when it comes to workouts. Sure it’s easier to ramp up fitness in January, but you don’t want to enter 2022 feeling like you’re starting over or that you’re “getting back on track”. If you know the end of 2021 will mean less consistency with exercise, instead look at it as your off-season; a chance to maintain what you’ve built, try different types of exercise, enjoy shorter movement sessions, and prepare your body for a surge in a couple of months.

2. Embrace the dark (and cold): whether you work out early in the morning or in the evening, chances are it’s going to be dark and cold. Acknowledge the challenge, but don’t let it become an excuse. Brighten up your home workout area, enlist an accountability partner, lay out your clothes the night before...whatever it takes to embrace the change of season and not let it sabotage your goal to stay active.

3. Exercise is not an exchange for indulging: During the holidays meals tend to be heavier and alcohol might be more frequent. Indulging a bit more is often part of tradition and good times with friends and family. If you’re choosing to indulge, it’s important to be OK with it and not fill yourself with guilt and stress. Don’t fall into the thinking that exercise is there to make up for eating more than usual. Continue to fuel your workouts with good nutrition and if you’re making the choice to have that extra dessert or glass of wine, accept it and enjoy it, knowing that your healthy habits over long periods of time will help you maintain your baseline.

As you can see, for your fitness routine to survive the holidays, it takes a little bit of a mental shift and recognizing that this is a temporary time period and adjustments should be made. So enjoy the family traditions, acknowledge the challenges, and change your perspective on what fitness means to you during this time. If you’d like some guidance with your holiday fitness plans or want to set yourself up for success in the New Year, schedule your personal exercise consult.

Quiz: How Important is Fitness to You During the Holidays?

Schedule irregularity, emotions/stress at a high level, guilt about nutritional choices, priority shifts...the holidays can derail your fitness. The truth is that for most of us, the period from the end of November to January looks different than your life right now.

And before you even continue reading, I'd like you to ask yourself...how important is your fitness during the 5-6 weeks of the holiday season? Seriously, would you say:

• VERY IMPORTANT

• MODERATELY IMPORTANT

• NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL

Once you have your answer, skip to the appropriate section for my suggestions. This is a no judgment zone, do what works for you.

VERY IMPORTANT

This is usually the choice if you've been making progress, you feel better when you exercise, you don't want to disrupt your routine or feel like you have to "get back on track". And in that case, it absolutely makes sense to create a plan so that you can enjoy the holidays while keeping up with exercise. Here are my suggestions:

• Make physical activity part of your tradition. Plan a pre-dinner walk or jog, go ice skating, do a 12 days of fitness challenge or turkey trot (virtual 5K).

• Be an early riser! Even if you don't normally workout in the mornings, commit to AM workouts. There will be less chance of something getting in the way and it will give you time to enjoy the evenings with your family.

• Pick a focus. If you're seeing a lot of progress in one area of fitness, let that be your priority and give yourself some grace in the other areas. Example: make strength training a priority and maybe bike a little less or vice versa.

• Commit: schedule and pay ahead of time for any classes, training or activities you'd like to stick with. Example: Purchase ice skating tickets, schedule with your personal trainer, put workouts in your calendar.

MODERATELY IMPORTANT

This is usually the choice if you've been pretty consistent with fitness and based on past experience know that a little less consistency during the holidays won't break you. You're the type of person that can get back on track pretty quickly. You probably like to balance fitness and indulging a bit. Here are my suggestions:

• Plan to be flexible. Rather than planning workouts for specific days of the week, plan ahead for the type of workouts you like to complete. Example: 2 strength workouts within the week. That way you can fit them in when you have time and not feel guilty if you miss a "Monday workout".

• Choose less intense workouts. If you tend to feel a little more laid back about fitness during the holiday you're probably less likely to want to go all out. Aim for shorter duration and less sweaty.

• Be OK with maintenance. Give yourself some grace that you might not see any gains and that's OK. Your goal is to maintain and not self-sabotage.

NOT IMPORTANT

This is usually the choice if A) you're not consistent now so why start during the holidays B) trying to fit in exercise feels stressful C) You've been working so hard, you're OK with giving yourself a break...you're also confident that you can get back on track quickly. Here are my suggestions:

• Choose a new activity or workout. Make it as a treat or form of self care. Get completely out of your normal routine and make it something you'll look forward to. Set something up just once per week.

• Keep moving. Although formal workouts might not be your thing during the holidays, aim to get in lots of walking, dancing or activities like hiking, skiing or sledding with your family.

• Don't completely rule it out. There may be days that you do feel like a good workout. Don't decide on weeks of inactivity because that's just not healthy. Have a go-to workout on hand for days you have the time.

• Have a plan to begin again in January. Book classes, activities or training sessions now so that you're all set when the holidays end! It’s not getting off track if it’s in the plan.

If you're looking for a workout that:

• You can keep on-hand to do when you feel like it

• Is flexible and can be done anytime

• Helps you commit to fitness during the holidays

Sign up for a one month Core, Function & Fitness training plan, which include 3 strength workouts and 2 core workouts. Free trial and cancel anytime! Prenatal plan available!