Handle The Holiday Hustle

Written by Gail Mitch, Health & Lifestyle Expert, CPT, GFI, YTT200, PN L1
Photography by Paul Buceta
Hair & Makeup by Monica Kalra

This time of year can bring about much anticipation, excitement, and enjoyment—but for many of us, a ton of extra stress and time constraints also come along with all of that. I often hear from women that multiple commitments, and possibly travel to be with loved ones during the holidays, makes it seem impossible to fit in the workouts they want to be doing. Not to mention, dragging dumbbells (or your other fav equipment) on your travels as you lug kids, gifts, food platters, and more is not really an option. I for one, still want to rock my life throughout the holidays and continue into the new year without missing a beat, so this is when I really lean into bodyweight training. Including this type of training during the holiday season (and any really busy weeks in general), is an awesome way to keep up with our workouts and save time!

Bodyweight training is a form of strength training that utilizes your own weight to act as resistance against gravity. It involves all different functional movements such as squats, lunges, hinges, push-ups, pull-ups, planks and rotational core moves. All of these exercises require no additional weights or equipment, making it available anywhere (even in the tiny bedroom in your mother-in-law’s house).  

Benefits of Bodyweight Training

There are a ton of benefits to opting for bodyweight training, including these: 

Convenience: There’s no equipment required, and you can do it anywhere (home, outside, while traveling). 

Functional Strength Improvement: Most bodyweight exercises mimic moves we do in our everyday life, which helps to improve our overall functionality. 

Increased Flexibility: Many of these exercises can be performed with a full range of motion, increasing your flexibility. 

Core Strength Improvement: Most bodyweight exercises engage your core, resulting in better posture and stability.

No Cost Involved: You don’t need a gym or any equipment, just your body and a plan!

While there are tons of benefits to bodyweight training, there are some limitations to consider. The biggest being limited muscle growth or strength building. As bodyweight training is great in certain situations, it lacks the ability of progressive overload. I find it is best used as a supplement during busy times of the year, or once a week for improving flexibility and functionality of your body. It’s not an approach I rely on to continue transforming my body, but bodyweight training is an awesome foundation for fitness. It’s versatile, and because it emphasizes control, balance, and mobility, it develops a well-rounded type of strength. 

Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, you can always challenge yourself by adding to your workout with things like increasing reps, focusing on tempo, or incorporating advanced variations. In my experience, combining bodyweight training with other forms of resistance work can lead to great overall fitness and keep you on track when short on time or equipment. Utilize bodyweight training to get through the holidays, and again in the new year to keep Rocking Your Life!

Try This 

Here’s a full-body workout that targets different muscle groups so you can keep up with training no matter what else you’re committing to this season.

"You can always challenge yourself by adding to your workout with things like increasing reps, focusing on tempo, or incorporating advanced variations."