Staying Active Over The Holidays: How Men Over 40 Can Get Fit, Not Fat

Weight Gain Over The Holidays

Obesity and weight gain are major health issues. Weight gain over the holidays contributes a great deal to this.

You may think you can just lose the weight you gain over the holidays.

However, studies have found that weight gain over the holidays typically isn’t reversed in the spring and summer months.

This means unhealthy choices you make during the holidays carry over in the long term, and any year-long weight gains are usually during the holiday season.

Even if you have a full schedule of activities over the holiday season, there are still ways to sneak in quick workouts.

Plus, when you add in workouts with your spouse and kids, you won’t feel like you are losing out on family time.

One way to get in exercise over the holidays is by doing quick workouts like these throughout the day.

This is perfect for days you can’t get away from a formal training session.

Just because these sessions are short doesn’t mean they aren’t effective.

Intense exercise can improve cardiovascular health to the same extent as sustained endurance exercise, even with lower total exercise volume!

So, even a short workout is far better than no workout at all.

With this 7-minute morning workout routine, you can literally roll out of bed, perform this workout, and get on with your day!

Staying Active Over The Holidays: Quick Workouts To Fit Into Any Busy Day

High-Intensity Micro Workout

Ensure you have a towel and water for this short but intense workout. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can burn as many calories over 24 hours as longer bouts of lower-intensity exercise, even with a much shorter duration!

• Burpees with push-ups for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds.
• Tuck jumps for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds.
• Mountain climbers for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds.
• Spiderman push-ups for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds.

Repeat the circuit twice for a quick 4-minute Tabata-style workout. If you have extra time, you can add a third circuit.

Stair Workout

If you don’t have cardio equipment at home and it’s too cold to run outside, you can use your stairs to get your heart pumping.

• Sprint up your stairs once, walk, or jog back down.
• Sprint up your stairs, walk, or jog back down.
• Immediately sprint back up again.
• Stop at the top and do 10 push-ups.
• Then, walk or jog back down.
• Sprint up your stairs, walk, or jog back down.
• Sprint up again, then stop at the top and do 5 burpees.
• Walk or jog back down.
• Sprint back up a third time.
• Stop at the top and do 10 jumping jacks.
• Walk or jog back down.

Repeat two times for a quick and efficient cardio workout that will also strengthen your lower body. If you can do this three or four times throughout the day, that’s even better! A study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that three bouts a day of vigorous stair workouts done three times a week highly improved cardiovascular health.

Workout During Commercial Breaks

Some days, you can’t get to the gym, whether it be a long workday or needing to be at home with your kids. But chances are you will be watching some great holiday classics on TV this year. Since commercials typically last about two minutes, you can get in this quick workout whenever you have a break in your show.

• Jog in place for 30 seconds. This can start out as a light jog at first, then increase the pace.
• Burpees for 30 seconds. You can do these with or without a push-up. Remember to keep your core engaged throughout the movement.
• Alternating lunges for 30 seconds. Start out slowly and then gradually increase the intensity. Be sure that your knees don’t track over your feet during each movement.
• Elbow plank for 30 seconds. Don’t let your back arch while holding this position. If you feel your form fading, come out of the plank for a brief second and then resume.

Here’s another quick commercial break workout so that you don’t get tired of doing the same thing over and over again.

• Tricep chair dips for 30 reps. You can do This quick exercise whenever you have a few minutes. Move to the edge of your chair or couch and lower your body into a tricep dip until your arms are parallel to the ground. Push back up, being sure to keep your arms close to your body.
• Jump squats for 30 seconds. You can do these awesome quad and glute burners right next to your couch. Be sure that your knees don’t track over your feet. Engage your core and maintain good posture throughout to avoid injury.
• Push-ups for 30 seconds. Push-ups are a great upper body and core workout. These can be done just about anywhere, and there are a number of variations that can be done throughout the day. You can start out with standard push-ups. The next time, you can do military push-ups, or put your feet up on your chair and try decline push-ups. This will allow you to engage different muscles in your chest.
• Calf raises for 30 seconds. Stand next to your couch and perform 30 seconds of calf raises. Try changing the angle with this exercise as well. Do 30 reps with your toes pointing forward. Then try the next 30 reps with your toes pointed out, and finally, do another set with your toes pointing in to target all areas of your calf muscles.

These short workouts will give you both cardiovascular and strength training benefits. Try to move right from one exercise to the next to keep your heart rate up and finish before your show starts!

With just 4 simple exercises that you can do on a bench (or any supportive, flat surface), this quick workout is easy to fit in any time, anywhere!

Staying Active Over The Holidays: A Workout For The Whole Family

If you want to get in a longer, more formal workout session during the holidays, you can involve your spouse and kids so you don’t feel like you are missing out on family time. You can create your own at-home circuit workout and challenge each other to pump out the most reps.

At-Home Family Workout Circuit

Warm-Up

Of course, you already know the benefits of a good warm-up before a workout. So now is the time to teach your kids to begin every workout with a warm-up.

Prior to starting the circuit workout, do a quick 5-minute jog around the backyard. Or they can do a few minutes of alternating jumping jacks, jump rope, and jogging in place. Anything to get the heart pumping a little!

Main Set

Perform 30 seconds of each exercise, then rest for 30 seconds, then move to the next exercise.

This will be a quick introduction to high-intensity interval training for your kids, while you will also benefit from a great aerobic and strength training workout.

You should demonstrate each move for your kids so they can see the proper form. While you want them to work hard during the intervals, emphasize that the quality of the exercise is more important than the quantity.

Push-Ups

You can have your kids start on their knees and show them how to bring their chest to the ground in a controlled manner before exploding back up. You can even show them some different push-up variations to try, like narrow or wide push-ups.

Jump Rope

Start with a standard jump rope with single hops on both feet. Once your kids have mastered this you can teach them some other fun versions, like single-leg or side-to-side jump rope.

Air Squats

Show your kids how to squat down until their quads are parallel to the ground. Start with basic squats and progress to jump squats.

Tricep Dips

You can have your kids sit on the ground with their knees bent, arms behind them, and fingers pointing forward. Have them straighten their arms so that their butts are slightly off the ground. Then demonstrate how to do a tricep dip by bending the elbows to lower their butt to the ground and then extending the arms to come back up. Or they can put their hands on the edge of a chair with their feet out in front to perform these dips.

Side to Side Hops

Instruct your kids to keep their legs together and knees slightly bent as they jump about 1-2 feet from right to left. They should swing their arms by their sides as they do this to keep their momentum going.

After completing these five exercises, tell your kids to rest for 1 minute. Then repeat 1-2 times.

This circuit can keep your kids moving for 10-15 minutes and is an awesome introduction to interval training that will boost cardiovascular and strength gains.

Just like with our “adult” workouts, you should also teach your kids to cool down after every session. Include dynamic and static stretches to keep their joints flexible and their bodies injury-free.

This is a fun workout that the whole family can enjoy right from your living room without extra equipment!

This strength workout for kids specifically focuses on building strength and coordination and needs no equipment!

Stuart Carter, Dip. PT, Precision Nutrition 1
C.O.O., The Fit Father Project

Stuart gained his Diploma in Personal Training & Sports Medicine through Premier Global, back in 2001. In 2018, he completed his Level 1 Precision Nutrition qualification.

Throughout his career in Fitness, Stuart has trained hundreds of clients, worked in almost every position in the industry, and ran his own successful training studio.

After a hiatus away from the Fitness industry, working in Corporate Management and Finance, Stuart returned to what he loves… Fitness! This return led to a chance meeting with Dr. Balduzzi, and a place in the Fit Father Project team.

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*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on staying active over the holidays.