Hey Reader,
Have you ever heard of “movement snacks”?
My mentor first shared this term with me one evening as he explained it as a method to stay active even when having a busy schedule.
He would split up his routine throughout the day into 60 second to 2 minute bursts of movement. From pushups, squats, split jumps to burpees- when a moment presented itself he got moving.
By doing this multiple times a day, he was able to hit the volume he needed without compromising his previous commitments. All he was doing was accumulating repetitions of movements.
It’s pretty genius. Unfortunately, most dismiss it because it’s too simple and easy. They think it won’t do anything.
And that’s why many never make progress. They quit before even trying.
Especially during the end of the year, it’s easier to justify why it’s too hard to get moving. The gatherings, the dinners, the travel, and the hosting.
Today we will combat the story you’ve been telling yourself: that the holidays are a time of celebration therefore, you cannot continue working on your fitness goals.
Here are the three ways to approach movement during the busiest time of the year:
1. Change your expectations.
“Realistically, how many days a week do you think you will get into the hotel gym?” Is what I discuss with clients when preparing for long holiday vacations.
Setting these kinds of expectations become an anchor. An anchor that does not let you loose yourself in the holidays and come back feeling guilty.
Whether you have access to a gym or not in the coming weeks, it’s crucial that you reflect on how you will approach the changes of a busier schedule.
The main purpose is to set your goal for the next 8 weeks. Think about what time constraints you might have, and how you could make adjustments from there.
For example:
Will you aim to complete 2 routines a week instead of 4?
Will you opt for walking instead of driving to be on a cardio machine?
Will you shift to shorter workouts?
Will you work on maintaining the strength you’ve gained instead of trying to hit new personal records?
When you create an expectation that is aligned with your new circumstances, it gives you the confidence to show up and do it. Now you’re working within your skills and capacity and reducing the friction that comes with working towards your goal during the holidays.
2. Approach it with curiosity
If you’ve been on the same cycle where you fall off your routine when the holidays creep in and are ready for a different outcome, would you be open to trying something you haven’t before?
While most people want certainty that what they do will get them to their goal - the only thing that is guaranteed is that if you keep doing the same thing, you will be in the same place this time next year.
This is where curiosity comes in. By doing so you invite a sense of playfulness, and decrease the pressure to do everything perfectly. The intention isn’t to get it right the first time, it’s about trying and exploring what else you can do to move you in the right direction.
Here’s a fun sentence to use to help you lead with curiosity:
I want to see what happens…
(E.g. I want to see what happens …. if I go for a walk instead of skipping my routine, eat half a cookie instead of all of them, call a friend to be my accountability buddy, try this new in-home routine.)
By simply being open to the idea of trying something different you’ve set yourself up to get you closer to your overall goal. Simple doesn’t mean ineffective.
3. Gamify it:
One underrated approach to movement is gamification. It is a way to increase both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, leading to sustained effort over time and supporting reaching goals. The loop of rewards and achievements keeps people coming back, releasing dopamine when they make progress.
For example, there was an app called “Plant Nanny” I shared with people. The concept was that every time you drank water, you got to feed your virtual plant. The more you stayed on top of watering it, the bigger it got until you could plant another flower. On the other hand, if you didn’t hydrate, your plant would wither and die. Simple, yet people really enjoyed watching their plant grow in real time.
Consider what are ways that you could gamify your movement in the coming weeks. Perhaps it’s finding an app that tracks your progress, joining a holiday challenge or getting a group of friends together to workout once a week.
Enjoying the holidays doesn’t mean you have to stop working on your fitness goals. It means being creative just like the movement snacks my mentor applied.
Let this be the year you continue moving forward by adjusting your expectations, staying curious about what else to try and gamifying your movement.
-Milchu “Adjusting” Perez
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