Festive Season Exercise

‘tis the season to be jolly.

For many of us it’s can also be the season for overindulgence. Christmas, and festive season celebrations, seem to start earlier every year. Christmas parties, catch-ups with friends, and family eating marathons that feel like they can (and do) go on for days. All that socialising can leave little time for our normal exercise routines, which may be a good thing. Read on.

The benefits of a rest week

At year’s end, we often need some time to wind down, reconnect with friends and family, and take a break from exercise. This can be great for our physical and mental health, allowing time to recharge, relax, and refocus. We can forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life, slow down and fill up on good food and drink.

Physically, a break from our normal exercise routine can help with recovery and injury prevention.

The reduction in load can allow muscles and joints to recover from potentially prolonged stress, to ease aches and pains that may have developed, and let some healing proceed. In the long-term, this can reduce future risk of injury and time lost to sport.

Continuous training results in elevated cortisol levels which can impact mood and mental health.

Mentally, the break away from routine and commitments can be refreshing and help us gain perspective. A relaxed approach to daily routine and diet can be rejuvenating, lowering cortisol levels and contributing to a reduction in stress and anxiety and improved mood.

If the summer months are your off-season, the Christmas period can be a good time to goal set and plan training blocks in the coming months, such as pre-season, in-season and post-season training.

Will I lose fitness if I take a week off at Christmas?

Most people will not notice a reduction in fitness from a short break. In fact, evidence suggests that taking a break and getting some rest can improve performance and recovery. These aspects can be just as important as performance, preventing burnout and reducing future injury risk.

Most active people find it hard to just stop, so chances are you will continue to undertake plenty of incidental activity – walking after meals, going to the park with the kids, playing in the pool, maybe some backyard cricket. All of this activity contributes to load on muscles and joints and negates some of the potential fitness loss. Either way, even if there is a slight reduction in fitness, most people will return to their previous fitness levels quickly once regular training resumes.

Adjusting your workout routine at Christmas

If you don’t want to take a full week off over Christmas or are looking at using this time to establish a routine to take into the new year, consider a simple home-based program or alternative routine so you can spend more time with family. Activities such as stretching, yoga, pilates, walking, pool-based exercise or slow cycling promote rest and recovery and are highly beneficial. Adjusting the focus from performance to recovery during this week means we start the new year feeling fresh, recovered, and ready to go.

It’s okay to keep training over Christmas

Let’s be honest. Exercise is a great way to manage mental (and physical) health, and some people just need the routine or an excuse to escape the trappings of Christmas. If this is you, or if you have an upcoming event that requires regular training, then stick to your routine. Recovery and rest periods can be factored in at other times.

Nutrition at Christmas

Part of Christmas for many people is the opportunity to have a great time and enjoy all the good food and drink on offer. With so much choice, it can be easy to overdo it. How you approach this period is completely up to you, and we suggest that if training is on the backburner, then relax and enjoy.

1. If you tend to overdo it and want to try and avoid this, here are some simple tips:
2. Eat mindfully. Try to slow your eating down, savour each mouthful, and avoid distractions while you’re eating.
3. If you tend to fill your plate, use a smaller plate 
4. Take your time and let your meal settle before heading back for seconds
5. Plan ahead on how you can use leftovers in future meals 
6. Drink plenty of water and enjoy alcohol in moderation.

Starting again in the new year

A benefit of keeping some exercise going over the festive period is that it can physically and mentally easier to get back into a routine after it. Typically after a break, we feel a little slower (and heavier), which can impact motivation. In reality our weight and strength won’t have significantly changed, but the association between reduction in exercise and increase in consumption will make it feel like it!

The key to getting back into exercise routine is to start back slowly and gradually build up to your desired training level. Don’t expect to be at the same level as prior to the break. Whilst you won’t have “lost” fitness, you will still need time to get used to things again. Rest assured muscle memory will kick in and you’ll be back up and running before you know it.

The Take Home

It’s Christmas. Enjoy what’s on offer and treat yourself a little. No matter what your goals are, rest and relaxation are a vital component of any training regime. Without rest, our body cannot recover and fully implement the benefits of our training. Use this time to let your body rest and recover, to mentally recharge and refocus on your future goals. Want to keep exercising? Consider changing things up so that your body still has time to unwind and you can spend valuable time with family and friends. 

Do you want to improve your fitness and reduce your injury risk? Give us a call.

At Movement for Life Physiotherapy, we are as much about injury prevention as we are treatment and management.  We love our sport and can work with you and your coaches to tailor an off-season program to meet your individual needs. 

Give us a call now or click on BOOK AN APPOINTMENT to book online.