Holiday-proof your fitness with these 10 expert tips

But the holidays don’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. With the right mindset, you can enjoy the season without sabotaging your well-being.

To help you holiday-proof your fitness, I tapped the expert advice of my friend, celebrity trainer Don Saladino, who works with some of Hollywood’s heavy hitters, including Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Anne Hathaway and John Krasinski. Since celebrities are no strangers to partying, I asked Saladino to share tips he gives his clients to sail through the season without wreaking havoc on their health-minded goals.

Celebrity or not, we all need to focus on smart strategies to keep holiday stress and indulgences from pushing us over the edge. Here’s advice you can put into action now.

Contents

1. Maintain a healthy mindset
2. Do the math
3. Don’t punish yourself with exercise

1. Maintain a healthy mindset

“Your goal should be to actively appreciate the holidays, while fully in control of your choices,” according to Saladino.

This time of year is meant to be enjoyed, but too many of us lose sight of that and spend a lot of time beating ourselves up for celebrating. Enjoying seasonal treats is OK — so let go of those feelings of guilt.

You know those cookies Mom baked with love? No need to deny yourself. Remind yourself that you have control; you can eat one or two without devouring a dozen. Remember, you are happily — not guiltily — making decisions.

2. Do the math

Too many fit people spend time needlessly stressing about a small percentage of indulgent meals they eat during the holidays, Saladino said. He urges them to “do the math.”

From mid-November to January 1, there are about 45 days. If you eat an average of three meals a day, that’s135 meals. Having a few brunches and several decadent dinners over the course of that time will not derail your fitness if your other meals remain healthy. Let’s say you had a dozen rich holiday meals — that’s still less than 9% of your overall meals.