Ready for Your Holiday Gameplan?

🚨 IMPORTANT! A must-read for this week

Happy Thanksgiving week!

This week officially launches “holiday season”.

The time of year for 🌟 joy, magic & wonder 🌟

But, also the time for parties, snacks and treats.

Which makes it a very challenging time to stay focused on long-term health goals.

Arguably the HARDEST time of the entire year!

Sadly, most women put their fitness and nutrition routines on hold for the month, planning to pick things back up after January 1st.

Bad idea!!

This makes you feel out of a rhythm and routine—not to mention out of shape, weak, yucky and generally unhealthy. 😑

How about we do things differently this season?

This issue is your holiday week gameplan—you’ll be inspired and motivated to keep showing up for yourself in small ways that still work during the busiest time of the year.

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Why This Matters

When you’re committed to making lifestyle changes, you need to acknowledge that the holidays are part of your life. You CAN move through these next few weeks with balance, moderation and mindfulness - proving to yourself that taking care of your body is not “seasonal”.

FITNESS SIMPLIFIED

Having an all-or-nothing mentality about exercise at any time of the year is a hindrance to long term health.

But especially during the holidays.

So, focus on avoiding that damaging mindset right now.

And prove to yourself that you CAN still exercise daily, even during one of the busiest seasons of the year!

Fitness Tip for Healthy Holidays

Move Your Body Daily

Embrace the idea that you do not need to do a full workout for it to “count”.

What does an easy weekly routine of daily movement look?Here’s a simple plan for this week to help you stay active daily and feeling strong:

💪 Monday: Do 10 squats & 10 countertop push-ups

💪 Tuesday: Do 1 balance exercise & a doorway chest stretch for 30 seconds

💪 Wednesday: Do a quick 10-minute bodyweight full-body workout (check👇)

💪 Thursday: Do 10 glute bridges & a 20-second plank

💪 Friday: Do 1 lap of high knee marching

💪 Saturday: Do a 10-minute walk with 10 lunges at some point along the way

💪 Sunday: Do 5 rounds of box breathing along with 10 shoulder circlesSee how doable these exercises are?Print these out or screenshot this to remind yourself - your future self will thank you❤️

Interested in doing something more comprehensive?Check out this 10-minute full body workout to knock out on Wednesday.

The Perfect 10-Minute Full Body Workout

“Prisoner” Split Squats (10 reps/side): Stand with legs in lunge-ready position with hands behind head & squeeze elbows back; Sink down and push up strong through legs.
Staggered Stance Bent-Over W’s (10 reps total, switch feet halfway): Stay in same split squat position; lean forward to let arms dangle & pull back into shape of “W”; feel upper back muscles engage.
Bear Crawl Shoulder Taps (10 taps total): Position on hands & knees on floor; lift knees up 1-2” to hover, then alternate tapping shoulder with opposite hand while keeping core steady.
Single Leg Bridges (10 reps/side): Lie on your back with knees bent and one heel pressed into the floor while the other leg is lifted in the air; slowly drive hips up & down by pushing through the one leg.
Lateral Skater Hops (10 reps/side): Hop (or step) from side to side, focusing on “sticking” the landing in a strong athletic position.

Extra tip: Do this circuit of exercises 3-4 rounds through, taking it slow and steady for the first round to properly prep and engage the muscles. Have a little extra time? Finish with your favorite hip flexor and shoulder stretches.

Did You Know...

Most people abandon their workouts during the holiday because they’re too long and require more motivation. Pare it down to the simplest form possible and you’ll be much more successful at staying consistent.

ONE quick, yet thorough workout per week is enough to maintain the muscle mass, bone density and mobility you’ve gained.

The most effective and simple plan is to still expose your body to a variety of exercises. Don’t just go for walks! While walking is better than nothing (and feels great after a big holiday meal), it’s important to do a variety of stretches, strengthening exercises, balancing moves and cardio-based exercises to maintain your progress.

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NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED

The all-or-nothing mentality hits hard on the nutritional front as well.It’s so hard to resist the decadent foods at various fancy holiday meals and gatherings.

Again, let’s embrace some flexibility, while also focusing on getting our PROs in at every meal.

👉 PROs = PROtein & PROduceThe PROtein is often easier to get as it takes center stage.

Like a beautiful roasted turkey, on the Thanksgiving table.

So, let’s give some extra focus to PROduce 🥕🥦🍠🍎

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Nutrition Tip for Healthy Holidays

Eat PROduce at Every Meal

Nothing will keep you more grounded & feeling good than eating fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.Did you know that the target servings of PROduce per day = 6-10 servings?This means that you should be eating about 2 servings per meal.However, most of us are only eating 3-4 servings of PROduce per day. (If that!)Even less during the holidays!Try this super easy recipe that you can whip up at the last minute.AND it gives you at least 2 servings of veggies in one shot!

Turkey Sausage & Peppers

More ideas to Eat More PROduce

Prep a container of crudité - raw, thinly sliced veggies such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes or snap peas - to have available as a side for each meal. Serve with hummus for dipping.
Prep another container with fruits - pineapple, berries, pears, apples. You & your family will love munching on these during meals & snacks.
Make a soup or stew filled with carrots, celery, onions and chopped cabbage, cooked in broth and cans of diced tomatoes; mix in Italian seasoning, garlic, leftover turkey or cooked ground beef. Salt & pepper to taste and you have a filling PRO-filled bowl of warmth.

MINDSET SIMPLIFIED

If you want to be successful this holiday season, the biggest obstacle you need to overcome is your MIND.

Specifically, the all-or-nothing mentality.

Being prepared with a plan is one of the best methods to overcome this.

Take a look at your week ahead:

‍🎉 When are the parties?‍

‍🎉 When are the big family meals?‍

‍🎉 When are the outings?

‍Be very clear with yourself on when your most challenging situations will be.

And go into those occasions with a plan.

Do not just show up without a strategy to navigate it well.

Mindset Tip for Healthy Holidays

Have a Plan

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THE TAKEAWAY

Most women have a running checklist in their mind of what they should be doing, eating or thinking during the holidays. It’s so easy to get trapped in that all-or-nothing mentality and throw in the towel when you know it won’t be perfect. Let’s move through this year’s season with joy and grace, knowing that you have solid foundational strategies to set you up for success.