Thriving During the Holidays: Physical Activity While Traveling

Published: December 2, 2020

It’s important to stay healthy this holiday season! Make sure you are listening to your body and taking care of it, even consider incorporating some self-care into your Holiday Season activities. Below are some fun ways to stay active during the Holidays!

• 15 minute workout (set a timer for 15 minutes and see how many circuits you can do!)
  • Bodyweight squats: 20 reps.
  • Incline push-ups: 15 reps (feet on floor, hands on edge of bed or desk).
  • One-arm rows: 10 reps each arm (use a water bottle or canned good as a weight).
  • Crunches: 10 reps.
• 15 minute workout (set a timer for 15 minutes and see how many circuits you can do!)
  • Walking lunges: 10 reps each leg.
  • Bicep Curls: 10 reps each arm (use a water bottle or canned good as a weight).
  • Plank: 15 seconds.
  • Jumping jacks: 20 reps
• 30 minute family workout (pick 5 of the below exercises and do them each for 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest in between)
  • Mountain Climbers
    • Get into a push-up position and then alternate bringing your knee to your elbow.
  • Bear Crawls
    • Palms and feet flat on the floor, arch your back so that you look like a momma bear. Race your kids across the room. Add some fun by having a competition! Who can "roar" the loudest?
  • Star Jumps
    • Stand tall and then explosively jump into the air, expanding your legs and your arms so that you look like a large “X” in the air. At the height of the jump, be sure to yell, “I’m a STAR!”
  • Push-Ups
    • Drop to your knees for a modified version.
  • Sit-Ups
    • Tuck your toes under the sofa or coffee table if you need a bit of support, or, ask your kids to hold your feet and vice versa.
  • Burpees
    • Start with a jump up, then drop to a plank, add a push-up, and then jump back up. It should be one fluid motion and try to not pause between repetitions. Make it a bit easier by opting out of the push up if you need to.
  • Squats
    • Kids are natural born squatters. See who can get the deepest squat or the most squats in 60 seconds. To do this one, stand with your feet shoulder’s width apart, and do deep knee bends. Make sure to keep your knees behind your toes and your arms out straight.
  • Leg Raises
    • Lay on your back and lift your legs without bending at the knee. Try to hold at the top. This works your lower abdominals but be careful to not let your lower back arch.
  • Lunges
    • Step forward and bend your front knee to a 90-degree angle. The goal is to have your back knee touch the ground without letting your front knee extend past your toes.
  • Planks
    • Elbows on the floor and balanced on your tiptoes, go eye-to-eye and see who can last the longest.
  • Jumping Jacks
    • With many variations to the classics, this one can go on and on. From standard to reverse, this one will keep your heart rate up.
  • Butterfly Kicks
    • Lay flat on your back and extend your legs straight out. Imagine a swimmer and begin to flutter kick your legs without bending at the knee. Start with your feet high off of the floor, as the move gets more difficult the closer the action is to the floor.
• Put music on for 30 minutes and have a dance party (you can make it holiday music if you are feeling festive)
  • This is good to get your blood flowing
  • Dancing can help boost your energy and mood as well