As your holiday season get hectic, YOU may end up last on the list with little to no time to focus on your own health and balance.   But did you know that in as little as 5 minutes a day you can…

  • reduce stress
  • increase your energy
  • boost your metabolism
  • keep you on track with your fitness goals
  • get a jump on your New Year's resolutions
  • AND avoid SWGD (seasonal weight gain disorder!)


That's not a real disease over of course, but the average weight gain over the holidays can top out around 12 lbs!  Keep your energy up and avoid that all-or-nothing dilemma with the following 5 festive fit tips:

#1 - Plan short & sweet options
Instead of ditching your workout completely, have time-efficient options on hand.  Just 5-10 minutes will keep positive momentum rolling and your metabolism revved up and when the New Year arrives, your resolutions won't seem like such a long shot!

#2 - Think 10 before 10
Make it a mission to do 10 minutes of SOME kind of healthy activity before 10 in the morning.  Go for a quick walk, stretch, climb some stairs, fit in a few yoga poses.  

#3 - Get socially active!
Suggest fun, fitness options with friends and family.  Take a winter walk, snowshoe, go as a group to a fitness dance class, rock climbing or yoga.  It shifts the focus away from food for a change and can help create new and active holiday traditions.

#4 - Healthy hydration
Getting through the holidays can feel like running a marathon - and it is!  We're not surprised when athletes drink more water to combat stress whether it's intense competition or extreme conditions.  So as your holiday season heats up, drink up!

#5 - NEVER say "well I've blown it now!"
Giving up never feels good and only makes for more work later on.  PLAN to splurge and enjoy but avoid crossing that line and losing control.  Plan your indulgences you truly enjoy so that you are giving yourself permission instead of attempting to constantly battle the buffet.

YOUR Circuit Solution!

Circuits are a staple in fitness used everywhere from boot camps, personal training, group exercise and sport-specific conditioning.  Trainers will use very specific exercise combinations and work to rest ratios but you can create your own home circuits by using this following 3 simple steps:

Step 1 - Make a list of exercises
Make master list of exercises of 10 exercises in total.  Start with simple exercises you already know but you can have fun adding to this list by getting creative, using body weight or whatever combination of equipment you happen to have.

Step 2 - Pick 5 and balance
Choose 5 from your list for a workout combination.  Ideally, you want to cover total body but you can also make it an upper body, lower body or cardio theme.

Step 3 - Set your time or reps and go!
To keep is simple, we're using 60 seconds for each exercise in our festive series but you can make up your own time and challenge - 10 of each, 20 seconds, etc.   You can also customize by varying the intensity - 60 seconds will feel very different if you do 10 squats or power out 40 with plyometrics!  Use "comfortable but challenging" as your guideline and you'll always win by being safe and effective.  

Don't over think, just move!  The objective is to keep your body and your brain in a healthy habit over the holiday season and minimize the impact of added stress and calories.

Stuck for ideas?  I have five 5-minute circuit outlines posted on www.libbynorris.com and more to come throughout this month.

It's not too late to join us!

Whether you have 5 or 50 lbs to lose, we've set up access and an amazing discount for our Canada AM viewers to access to the online training site and YOU can start ANY time.

If you have any questions on how and where to get started with your workouts, contact Libby at www.libbynorris.com.  We love your feedback, questions and suggestions for segments.