Fight the Holiday Slump
By
November 28, 2015
AMRAP in 6 minutes:
30 Double unders
3 Thrusters (135/95)
immediately into...
AMRAP in 6 minutes:
Max Hang Power Cleans (135/95)
Perform 7 burpees each time the bar touches the ground.
We hope you all enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. Holidays are fantastic breaks in routine. They give us a chance to step off the treadmill for a period and slow things down. I spent more time sleeping, reading and chatting with my kids, running and biking outside instead of working out in the gym, and yes, eating and drinking outside of the normal guidelines. I enjoyed every minute of downtime, every dessert, every lazy run, every sunset.
Holidays can go two ways for me. Some years, Thanksgiving has kicked off a month long holiday slump where I've managed to drag the relaxed nature of holiday living into my everyday routine of focus, fitness, and nutritional discretion. From the first hint of Thanksgiving, through every holiday party and "special" occasion, I ignore the voice of discipline and embrace the voice of indulgence because after all, it is the holiday season. Sometime around New Year's, the recognition of my depleted fitness, the ravages of poor nutrition, and the missed opportunities all converge to leave me a giant hole out of which I must dig myself...physically, mentally, and emotionally.
But there is another way! This route still involves celebrating holidays and embracing all that these special times have to offer. Enjoy Thanksgiving dinner complete with stuffing and pumpkin pie, if that's your thing. The same goes for Christmas or Hanukah. Participate fully in the traditions that make holidays special for you and your family. But let that be enough. Put some boundaries around your holiday season. Don't let it become a month-long backward slide. Don't eat the cookies, desserts, and candies that are ubiquitous for an entire month. They aren't really that special and they contribute nothing to your overall enjoyment of the holiday. Stick to your gym routine. The extra hour of sleep or the office happy hour will not make your holidays more meaningful. Taking an hour for yourself to workout will improve your health, your mental clarity, and your self-esteem. More importantly, it keeps you on a good trajectory. Moving forward rather than backward.
Where am I going with all of this? Well, a challenge of course. The Fight the Holiday Slump challenge is as simple as committing to getting to the gym for 12 workouts between November 30 and December 31st. Yes, there will be prizes, but the biggest victories will be won in getting you to the New Year feeling strong and healthy. Not only will you get 12 workouts in, but you will also get 12 opportunities to check in with your community of support, and 12 chances to deal with stress in healthy way instead of with food or alcohol. All that is required is that you show up, workout, and make sure that you are checked in to the class. We will take care of the rest!
See you at the gym!
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