Mind over matter

Don’t let the holiday hustle and bustle keep you from working out
Dec. 21, 2009 | By: Alison Dunn

The month of December is always a busy one; between work, kids, family obligations, holiday parties, concerts and shopping, it can sometimes seem like there are not enough hours in the day to get things done. And workouts? They can pretty quickly fall by the wayside.

But why are workouts the first thing to go? Too many people use the holidays to make excuses to eat whatever they want and not to work out, says Paul Plakas, a fitness specialist and star of Slice Network’s X-Weighted.

“Just because there’s cake there, and just because there are chips there, and just because you’re busy… these are all excuses,” Plakas says. “People who care enough about their bodies will still find time and make time, no matter what.”

You have to take care of yourself, and that means keeping up with your workouts; even though December is busy, that doesn’t mean you have to neglect your workouts, Plakas adds. All it takes is finding a little motivation.

Working from the inside out

Real motivation must come from within, says Plakas. “The key to motivation is to learn to become self-motivated,” says Plakas, “because nobody can motivate you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

To do that, you must learn to value yourself and your body and realize that you need to devote this time to taking care of yourself. “You’ve got to find out, in your head, what it is that’s stopping you from taking care of yourself,” Plakas adds. “If you care enough about yourself, you make time for it.”

Making time for you

Once you’ve made that commitment to yourself, it’s time to make it happen. What can you do, though, to fit in those workouts? It doesn’t have to be hard and you don’t have to spend hours in the gym, Plakas says. Instead, try these tips to keep your workouts on track.

• Break it up. If you’re pressed for time, it can actually be better to do three 10-minute workouts a day rather than one 30-minute continuous session, Plakas says. Why not try a brisk walk, a skipping session, or grabbing some free weights and pumping iron when you get a chance. “If you can find 10 minute segments three times in your day, and do the proper exercises, you can burn more calories,” Plakas says. In fact, he even offers short “Bodcast” workouts on his own website that can help you do a quick, effective workout.
• Stay home. Skip the gym and save time driving back and forth by doing a full-body, functional core circuit at home using your own body weight. That’s actually the most effective way of exercising, Plakas says. “You use the lower body and the upper body on a stable core doing various movements, and if you link the exercises one after another, it’s very intense and trains your whole body.” If you’re not sure how to do that, hire a personal trainer for a session or two to get you set up.
• Get the family involved. You want to spend time with your family this holiday season? Why not get everyone involved in the workouts? “Research shows that it’s very tough to go out and do things on your own, so if you can have the support of friends and family, you are much more likely to succeed,” Plakas says. Try new activities like cross-country skiing, skating, or even just going for a long walk or run to look at holiday lights around your neighbourhood. The more you do together, the easier it will be to keep up with your workouts.