The fear of the holiday season is getting closer. No, not the fear of buying the right gift for everyone in your life, but the fear of gaining weight! Nobody wants to lose their health and fitness progress, but all of those holiday meals and sweet treats can make it incredibly difficult to keep on track. The key to staying in shape is to be committed to your health, even during crazy times. So if there is anything you need to commit to doing this holiday season to stay in shape, this workout should be designed to keep the weight gain off while on vacation.
Morning exercise is the key to burning fat all day. Not only will they speed up your metabolism for increased calorie burning, but they will also help you make healthier choices throughout the day if you exercise early. This full-body workout offers a mix of lifting and cardio, using compound exercises that focus on two parts of the body for each rep. You will work hard with minimal rest but will not have to worry about training for the rest of the day.
Maintain a healthy diet outside of the holiday celebrations
While this routine is ideal for burning off excess calories, maintaining a nutritious diet is just as important. We know cheating meals are a part of life this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthy outside of the holiday celebrations and family gatherings! If you need some help in this department, you’ve come to the right place. We have dozens of meal plans and nutritious recipes that are perfect for weight loss, including:
Exercising to keep the weight gain off while on vacation
What should I do: Do this workout every morning. Change the training sequence after two weeks and increase your fitness level. Be sure to check out the how-to videos for each move below before you start exercising!
What you will need: A yoga mat or soft surface, a set of light to medium-weight dumbbells (recommended weights below), and an interval timer (available on most phones).
- Beginner training – Do each exercise for 40 seconds with a 20 second break between exercises. Complete three rounds, resting for 30 seconds between each round. Use a 5 to 10 pound dumbbell for weighted exercises.
- Intermediate training – Do each exercise for 50 seconds with a 10-second break between exercises. Complete four rounds, resting for 30 seconds between each round. Use a 10 to 15 pound dumbbell for weighted exercises.
- Advanced training – Do each exercise for one minute with no rest between exercises. Complete five rounds with no rest between rounds. Use a 15 to 20 pound dumbbell for weighted exercises.
- Burpees
- Pressing dumbbell curl
- Side lunge to knee drive (Complete on both sides before proceeding)
- Long arm crunches
- Bird dog plank (Complete on both sides before proceeding)
- Side leg raise squats (Complete on both sides before proceeding)
Related: Healthy vacation tips to keep you in the loop
Instructional videos
Burpees
Pressing dumbbell curl
Side lunge to knee drive
Long arm crunches
Bird dog plank
Side leg raise squats
Looking for more ways to keep the weight gain off while on vacation? Try any of these 10 workouts to lose the vacation 20. Also, follow us on Pinterest for more incredible workouts and fitness challenges!