Everyone who’s ever worked out at least once in their lives knows that the holiday season is the bane of fitness. You’re having parties left and right, unhealthy food is everywhere within reach, and even the people at the gym have to take a break.
But what if we told you that it’s really not that hard to eat all the ham and lechon you want over Christmas and still be fit? (Or at least, some semblance of it.) Yeah, a big part of fitness is watching what you eat, but come on, it’s Christmas.
So to keep working over the break, you don’t really need a gym that’s open—you just need a little more willpower to get up off your butt.
Run (or walk)
Yes, this is the simplest thing you can do over the break. Not only is it easy and free (save for the shoes you’re gonna need) it’s also pretty therapeutic, especially when done at the right time. Run fast, run slow, run far, run for long.
If you’re not up for running, you can just walk a lot. The weather may be a little stormy, but when it’s not, it’s pretty comfy enough this Christmas to walk around. If you don’t live in a congested urban area, it’s even better for you.
Challenge: Get up early in the morning (like before sunrise) and go out for a run. It’ll be cold AF, but the burn will leave you feeling warm and sweaty in no time and ready for the rest of your day.
Yoga
While this may be more for those who are already into yoga, it’s still worth a shot because all you’ll need is some space in your house and a mat. For those who don’t already know, yoga done the right way increases strength and flexibility, and while it may not seem intense the work will burn some of that food you eat.
Challenge: Have you ever tried DDP Yoga? It takes traditional yoga and adds in more bodyweight exercises like pushups, squats, and ab work, as well as dynamic resistance moves. If you do it well and consistently it’ll carve you up, and it usually doesn’t take more than an hour. You might have to spend for it, though.
Bodyweight exercises
You’re cooped up at home. Maybe it’s raining outside, maybe it’s a little too cold for a run, or maybe you just don’t want to go out. You need a real burn, and you wanna do more than yoga. You need a real pump. Why not push yourself to do a circuit of bodyweight exercises? I’d suggest throwing in some weights in here but you may not also have weights at home. That’s okay, because all you’ll need is your body.
Try out this pretty intense bodyweight workout program from our friends over at MultiSport.ph. It runs for a month, but there’s no reason why you can’t take any of the daily workouts for a spin while you’re at home. A workout is a workout, after all.
Challenge: Go out for a run, find a park (if you live near one) and do some bodyweight workouts there a la Rocky Balboa. Plus points if they’ve got exercise equipment like monkey bars.
Art by Lara Intong
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