Boost Your Mood: Home Workouts You Can Do at Home over Christmas

Trying to find the time and motivation to keep your body moving over the festive period… you’re probably thinking where are you going to find time to fit that in?

But you know what, it doesn’t have to be time consuming. This is true even with limited time. I know it can be challenging with children on school holidays, visiting relatives, shopping etc., the usual weekly routine is thrown off.

So, stop finding excuses or reasons why you can’t do something. You may only have 10-15 minutes. If that is the case, I’ve got you covered!

Keep scrolling to see FIVE EXERCISES that have NO EQUIPMENT (other than a chair) that target all your major muscle groups, gives you the endorphin boost of doing something, and certainly takes no longer than 20 minutes out of your day (you can even make it shorter or longer if you wish!)

WHY IS KEEPING YOUR BODY MOVING SO IMPORTANT DURING THE FESTIVE PERIOD?

Honestly, trying to keep the body moving during the Festive Period will have such a huge positive impact on both your mental and physical well-being (especially when this time of year can revolve around a lot of indulgence and sedentary activities)

POSITIVE IMPACTS ON YOUR BODY:

Maintains fitness: Regular activity helps to counteract the increase in the potential extra calories from festive meals and treats.
Boosts metabolism: Exercise increases your metabolic rate, helping to support managing weight and balancing energy levels.
Better digestion: Any moving of the body helps digestion, reducing the potential effects of bloating and discomfort after rich meals or over-eating.
Boosts immunity: Regular activity enhances your immune system, reducing the risk of catching seasonal illnesses when spending time around family and friends.
Improves sleep: Being active and moving the body helps regulate your sleep cycle, supporting you to sleep better (especially when it could be more disruptive with later nights or early mornings with excitable children!)

POSITIVE IMPACTS ON YOUR MIND:

Relieves stress: The festive season can feel stressful with visiting family and friends, shopping, and getting all the last minute preparations done. Exercise releases feel good hormones known as endorphins, which help to reduce stress and increase your mood.
Emotions: The festive period is different for everyone, it can bring up a lot of emotions, missing loved ones, it can feel lonely, and with the dark mornings and nights, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may be triggered. Physical activity is not only a natural mood booster, it can act as a distraction from these feelings and gives you a different focus (even if it is for a short while).
Boosts energy: Staying active improves mental clarity, focus and reduces fatigue, helping you enjoy and be fully emersed in the festive period.
Socialising: Doing physical activities with family and friends (e.g. going for a walk or group cycle, going ice skating, creating little team games that get the bodies moving etc.) is a great way to socialise and have fun together before indulging in food and drink.
Finding balance: Exercise makes you feel good, and gives you that feeling of self-achievement. It also gives you that balance of knowing you are moving your body, and therefore a little more mindful with the amount of food and drink consumed, which may help to generate a feeling of control and not over-indulging, which boosts overall mood and well-being.

SO, WHAT CAN I DO?

Here are FIVE EXERCISES, that when completed will target all the major muscle groups within the body, giving you a FEEL GOOD, FULL BODY WORKOUT!

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

Sit to stand – inhale as you lower into the chair, exhale as you push to stand. Make sure the knees track out towards your little toes and don’t buckle in towards each other.

Squats – inhale as you lower & hover above the chair, exhale as you push to stand. Make sure the knees track out towards your little toes and don’t buckle in towards each other.

Incline press ups – inhale as you lower, bringing the chest over the hands, exhale as you push up.

Press ups – inhale as you lower, bringing the chest over the hands, exhale as you push up (option to drop to the knees).

Tricep lean backs – have your fingers pointing towards your toes. Inhale as you lean back into your elbows, exhale as you push back up to a seated position.

Tricep dips – legs can be bent (slightly easier) or straight (more challenging). Inhale as you lower, bending the elbows, exhale as you push and extend the arms.

Glute bridges – knees hip distance apart, ankles under the knees. Exhale as you squeeze the bottom and peel the spine away from the mat, lifting the hips to the sky. Inhale as you gently lower vertebrae at a time.

Incline glute lifts – have your feet at the end of the chair, hip distant apart. Squeeze the bottom, exhale as you lift the spine away from the mat, lifting the hips high. Inhale as you gently lower back down to the floor.

Ab prep – start with your hands at the base of your hips. Exhale as you gently squeeze the core, head and shoulders lift as the hands slide up the legs. Inhale as you gently lower back to the mat.

C-Crunch – start with the hands at the temples. Exhale you gently squeeze the core, lifting the head and shoulders, as well as you feet so you knees are over your hips. Inhale as you lower back down.

CIRCUIT IDEAS:

Choose your level of exercise then choose from the following:

A – Work for reps – complete 1-3 rounds, doing 8-10 repetitions of each exercise. Rest for 15-20 seconds (or longer) between each round of exercises.

B – Work for time – complete 1-3 rounds, doing each exercise for 20-40 seconds. Rest for 15-20 seconds (or longer) between each round of exercises.

C – AMRAP – complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes, completing 15 repetitions of each exercise. Record how many rounds you are able to complete within the time limit, and try to beat the time next time. Rest is minimal in the AMRAP, but always listen to your body.

D – EMOM – every minute on the minute complete 15-20 repetitions of an exercise, your rest is the time left in the minute. Repeat 1-3 times.

Summary:

The important thing to remember to not put pressure on yourself! Staying active doesn’t mean you have to be overexerting yourself. Find activities you enjoy, even just light to moderate activity can have significant benefits which will support you to feel your best, both physically and mentally, during the festive period!

(Disclaimer – should you choose to do any of the above exercises and circuit ideas, you are exercising at your own risk. Listen to your body, you know your own limitations. Always do a suitable warm up and cool down before taking part in any of the above exercises. Moves with Abbie takes no responsibility for any injuries/harm that may result from doing any of the above exercises/workouts as you are choosing to complete in your own time, at your own risk.)