Here at StudioHop HQ we know how grumpy some of us can get when travel forces us to miss out on our favorite classes. So, our team has rounded up some great ways to stay fit (and happy) while traveling this holiday season. #Merry, #Bright, #Sweaty.
Staying at a Home with Friends or Family?
Fa-la-la-la-la, Ta-ba-ta-ta: Several days of cookies, hot cocoa, and comfort food can leave any bunny feeling like a rotund snow man. We recommend rounding (bad choice of words?) the family up for a few rounds (there we go again?) of Tabata. We’re talking a full-on, at-home, body-weight style work out. That’s alternating 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, of burpees, push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches, Russian twists, dips, you name it! Extra points for the cals you’ll have to burn while moving the living room furniture out of the way for your at-home gym.
“Candy cane, marshmallow, ten hut!”: Day dreaming about tackling your sister all day? Perfect! Organize some backyard family football to alleviate some of that pent-up aggression, which started building when she opened a new iPhone and you opened a box of coal. Don’t know how to play football? No problem, your uncle will love man-splaining it to you while you jog circles around him (just to burn calories).
Ho-Ho-Ho, Woof-Woof-Woof: Surely either your hosts or their neighbors own a dog. Which is great because “going out to walk the dog” sounds a lot better than “going out to smoke” or “going outside because I can’t stand you people any longer.” Not to mention that walking or jogging is great exercise. Plus people will think you’re a winter-wonderland angel because anyone who cares about animals is an angel.
“We elves like to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup”: Be a good little elf and help your family hang up the Christmas lights this year. You’ll get a moderate work out and it’s difficult to eat while stringing lights, so at the very least you won’t be eating.
Bind a Twist: Gift wrapping is surprisingly a lot like yoga. They both involve a lot of time sitting on the floor, trying to stay zen, and somehow always end with you getting your arms and hands all twisted up. So, do a little gift-wrap-yoga, this holiday season for some (extremely) light-exercise and try to stay zen!
Run the stairs: Here’s one that you can count on yourself to do without any prompting. After getting ready for a dinner out (or church), forget to unplug your straightener, walk to the car, remember about your straightener, then run upstairs to unplug it, then run downstairs, then realize you just grabbed your lipgloss and didn’t unplug your straightener, then run upstairs again, repeat. Boom, cardio.
Staying in a hotel?
Santa’s Workout Shop: Staying at a hotel or on a cruise boat? Perfect! Hit. The. Gym. We know you love classes (duh), but sometimes a good little reindeer just has to make do with what is available to him/her. An hour at the gym can go by pretty quickly. We recommend doing 15 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes of weights, 15 minutes of cardio, and then 15 minutes of abs. And we also recommend watching Christmas movies on your iPhone or the gym TV while you do it.
Sort of Like Climbing the Chimney: You’re probably not staying on the first floor. Are we right? Do you know where we’re going with this? A great way to burn some extra cals while staying in a hotel is to opt for the stair case. Every time. See “run the stairs” paragraph for more info on what we mean by “every time.”
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: We like to imagine that anyone who is away from home this Christmas is spending the holiday in a snow-covered (white snow, not the dirty brown kind that exists in real life) New York City. If that’s the case, PLEASE take a Christmas “hike” and walk however-many-blocks to see the tree in Rockefeller Center. Staying somewhere else? Well, at least take a hike! Hikes/walks/whatever you want to call them, are a great way to burn cals, breathe in some fresh air, and get away from your family this season.
Shopapalooza: Shopping burns a lot of calories. The more stores the better. It’s great cardio to walk around to all of the stores, and great arm-toning to carry all of your purchases. Need we say more?
The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care: For some (very light) exercise, consider unpacking your bags and actually neatly organizing your belongings in the drawers and closet at your hotel. Santa will appreciate the tidiness (hello, nice list!) and at the very least you won’t be laying down watching TV (so we’re going to call that exercise).
No Matter Where You’re Staying:
Merry and Bright: Hold someone’s baby at a gathering. Tell them how cute the baby is and how you just can’t get enough! Meanwhile focus on small pulses up and down with the baby held directly in front of you (elbows straight), then bring the baby down to your right hip and back up, down to your left hip and back up (shoulders back). Before you know it your arms will be toned AF thanks to that chubby little holiday baby!
9 Ladies Dancing, 10 Lords a-Leaping: Cleaning up the house/hotel/whatever after a large holiday gathering? Nothing spices up cleaning-time like a dance party. Throw on some music and shake those hips. Be so 100% care-free, but also don’t forget to turn on your fitness-tracker so that you can see how many cals you burned (strainght chillin)!
Happy Holidays we’ll see you on January 1 to count up those New Years Resolutions!
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