As I mentioned in Monday’s post, I reallyyyyy struggled in getting my workouts in over the holiday break.  Truthfully, it was more a lack of motivation over the holidays than anything else.  But short runs & walks, as well as my Happy Thanksgiving Pyramid Workout, saved me from being entirely sedentary across the festive season in Florida and Chicago.

Because I seemed to have success with the flexibility of the pyramid workout, and because we have another month+ of the holiday season upon us, I decided that one more pyramid workout was in order leading into the heart of December.  Knowing the equipment I’ll have available, I included dumbbells within this workout, with no other equipment needed.  If I’m in a gym, I’ll use 10-15 pounds.  If I’m home, I’ll use 5 pounds because that’s all I own.  And if I’m really struggling to find dumbbells, I’ll use water bottles or cans of soup.  (Yes, I am that slightly random/sketchy person potentially doing workouts in the corner of airports from time-to-time.  I feel traveling is hard, y’all!)

Bust through this full workout while keeping your energy up, but definitely watch your form, too.  I’ve found myself recently getting a bit too slouched in my shoulders on my squat presses.  A focus on correcting my form may mean that I move a bit slower, and the workout takes a couple minutes longer, but as long as I keep the energy up and keep moving, I know that it will be a lot better for me in the long run.

 

Archive Workouts

In case you’re like me and need some at-home workouts that will keep you sweating over the holidays (without the extra drop-in gym expense!), then below are a couple of my older workouts that completely fit the bill.  All use no equipment or just dumb bells and are easy to adjust for where ever you are location-wise.

For the above workout, I would just motion the jump rope, unless you happen to have one handy.  I’m a frequent fake jump roper-er.  It will likely not serve me well coordination wise on the playground, but hey, it gets the job done.

 

Very old workout I pulled together, but still one of my favorites.

 

<Ditto my comment on the first workout regarding jump ropes here.  Fake these unless you have a jump rope available.>

Feel free to replace the dead lifts with good mornings (with good form!), pending the weights you may or may not have available.  You can also just motion these by using your body weight and keeping your hamstrings tight.  This is a great alternative to consider on almost every weights-related move.

 

Also linked in the first section above.

And there you have it – six workouts for one full week of fitness, including a rest day.  Now we both don’t have any excuses.  Let’s not let the holidays get the best of us.  Let’s stay committed to being the best, all-around healthy versions of ourselves we can be.  I mean this regardless of the stuffing sitting at the middle of the holiday table, of course. 🙂

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What are your tips for staying healthy over the holidays?

Do you change your fitness plan when you’re visiting family and friends, or do you stick with your usual fitness schedule?

What are some of your favorite workouts to complete with limited equipment?  Sprints, long distance running, etc?

Create a great life!