The Holiday Season is here and for many, that means their fitness goals take a back seat. But it doesn’t have to be that way! You can have healthy holidays that are also happy nd fun.

Here’s your three-step cheat sheet from local fitness experts Golden Home Fitness for you to stay fit this holiday season:

1 - Healthy Holidays Are Meant to Be Enjoyed!

When you hear, "stay fit this holiday season" it may conjure thoughts of tasteless, sugar-free cookies, skipping parties for the gym, or other restrictive activities. This is doing it all wrong! Paraphrasing the wise boxing coach and fitness writer Ross Enamait, it's not what you do between Christmas and New Year's that messes you up, it's what you do between New Year's and Christmas. This is the time of year where it's okay to be present with loved ones and enjoy the often all-too limited time we get to share with one another. The key is to try to enjoy yourself MORE, not LESS. As a personal trainer, what could I possibly mean by that? Eat that cookie like it's the last cookie you'll ever eat, savor that wine, that cake, that champagne, and so on like you're the most discerning critic you can imagine. Then once you've been completely present and have actually tasted what you're consuming, rest on a satisfied gut.

The problem for most is not that they are at the Christmas party, or that they ate a cookie, but that they devoured a box of cookies mindlessly while watching a Lifetime movie, or that they drank the entire bottle of wine trying to distract themselves from a dry holiday office party conversation. More than just a buzzword, being mindful when you indulge will help you stay fit this holiday season.

2 - Drop the All or Nothing (Pick Your Spots)

To add on to number one, be your own best advocate and pick your spots! If you're at a party and you can choose from store-bought cookies and delicious homemade cookies, or special reserve wine versus generic box wine, this is the time to be your most discerning, snobby self! Focus on quality over quantity and you'll find yourself more satisfied and in better shape when January rolls around.

When it comes to goals, realize that maintaining where you are is a valiant goal during healthy holidays! Many people let the wheels fall off the wagon and gain notable weight every holiday season, so even maintaining where you are is a great place to build on when the New Year comes.

3 - Don’t Do It Alone (Hire a Coach or Enlist an Accountability Buddy)

You're embarking on a journey that many people set off on, but relatively fewer succeed at, as all New Year's resolution statistics show. On any journey with risk, it's essential that you don't venture into the unknown all alone!

Enlist a coach, like we provide at Golden Home Fitness, or find an accountability buddy to keep you on track!

Having an accountability partner will keep you honest when you want to reach for that third cookie, but know you should really stop. A good coach or partner will check in on you regularly to see how you feel you're doing and help you decide on any adjustments to your strategy.

Want a coach to help you see your best results yet? Call us at (844) 704-9477 for a complimentary workout in our new North Andover Fitness Studio or in the convenience of your own home or apartment building!

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Written by Coach Will H. Hansen and shared here by the author, featuring photos of Coach Will and Coach Dovile Zemaityte from the 2018 Golden Home Fitness Toy Drive for Shriners Hospital for Children.