Easy Ways to Get Your Workouts In During the Holidays

The holidays are full of joy, gatherings, and traditions—but they can also throw your routine completely off track. Between travel, family staying over, endless food, and a packed social calendar, squeezing in a workout can feel impossible.

Here’s the truth: you don’t need hours at the gym to stay consistent. Even short, intentional bursts of movement can help you keep your energy up, manage stress, and feel good in your body through the busy season. Think of it as “maintenance mode”—you may not be chasing new PRs, but you are protecting your health and momentum.

Here are 4 simple, realistic ways to fit in your workouts during the holidays.

1. Time-Cap Your Workouts

Don’t skip movement just because you don’t have an hour. A solid 20–30 minute workout is more than enough to boost your energy and metabolism. Short, focused sessions like HIIT, bodyweight circuits, or Tabata-style training give you maximum results in minimum time.

Try sneaking in a quick workout first thing in the morning before guests wake up or in the window between holiday parties. Here’s a sample 20-minute cardio workout you can do anywhere:

20-Minute Cardio Blast (RPE scale 1–10)

Warm-Up: 2 minutes at RPE 4 (moderate pace)
1 minute at RPE 5
1 minute at RPE 6
1 minute at RPE 7
1 minute at RPE 8 (hard!)
Repeat that 4-minute cycle x4
Cool Down: 2 minutes at RPE 4

Done in 20 minutes—and you’ll feel amazing.

2. Make It Social

Who says workouts have to be solo? Invite your family and friends to move with you:

Take a walk before breakfast or after dinner.
Go ice skating, skiing, or sledding if you’re in a colder climate.
Play a family game that includes movement (charades, scavenger hunt, “squats between turns” Pictionary).

Not only does this keep everyone active, but it also creates memories and traditions centered around health.

3. Take Turns

If you’re juggling childcare, hosting, or other responsibilities, try rotating workout time with your spouse, sibling, or a friend. While one person watches the kids or preps the meal, the other can get in a run, yoga flow, or gym session. Then switch.

This “tag team” approach gives you both the freedom to move while keeping everything else covered.

4. Try Something New

The holidays are the perfect excuse to mix up your routine. Sign up for a holiday 5k walk/run in your town, try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, or rent kayaks if you’re in a warm climate.

If formal workouts feel unrealistic, create little “mini-challenges” for the family:

Who can hit the most steps in a day?
How many push-ups can you do before dinner?
Can we all stretch for 10 minutes before bed?

Fun counts as fitness, too.

Bottom Line

The holidays don’t have to derail your health goals. Even if your workouts look different for a few weeks, the key is to keep moving in a way that feels doable. A short sweat session, a family walk, or an active holiday tradition all count.

Stay consistent, flexible, and creative—you’ll head into the New Year feeling strong, energized, and proud that you kept your health a priority.