December is actually the perfect time to start exercising and getting in shape. For a start, exercising through December will offset the weight gain that most of us experience because of overeating at Christmas.

Also, many gyms offer festive membership discounts knowing they can put their prices up in January for all those New Year’s resolution makers.

Christmas is also a good time to grab some terrific fitness equipment bargains in the sales that happen at this time of year, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

But what if you don’t want to go and join a gym, or are on a budget and don’t want to buy any exercise equipment? Does that mean that you won’t be able to get fit or lose weight at Christmas time?

Absolutely not!

You don’t need a gym to get fit and be healthy 

It’s a very common misconception that you need to go to a gym to work out and get fit. In fact, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. And as for workout equipment, your body is often all you need for a great workout.

Using just your body, you can effectively work each and every major muscle in your body, and in a way that’s natural, safe, and very effective.

Bodyweight exercises, yoga, walking, and running are all free to do, and you can do them almost anywhere and anytime you have 10-20 minutes of free time. And don’t think for one minute that you won’t get good results from bodyweight workouts; that’s simply not true.

If Dave can do it, so can you! 

A friend of mine, Dave, had to give up his gym membership because he and his wife had a new baby, he was working away a lot, and he had hardly any time free for exercise. At first, he gained weight and lost fitness, but then decided that he would commit to doing 30 minutes of exercise every day before he went to bed.

This could be an easy jog around the neighborhood, some push-ups or lunges, a brisk walk, some yoga, or any other quick and easy workout. It didn’t matter what he did, so long as he did something.

Because it was only 30 minutes per day, Dave had no trouble sticking to his plan, and because he worked out at home, not one minute was wasted traveling to a gym, looking for somewhere to park his car, or queueing for the equipment he wanted to use. All he bought was a yoga mat for comfort.

I saw Dave recently and commented on how slim and fit he was looking. I was amazed when he told me that he’d managed to get and stay that way in just 30 minutes a day, and while coping with the new baby, work commitments, and all the other stresses in his life. I was so impressed, I knew I had to share his story with you!

So, if Dave can do it, I know you can too, and what better time to start than Christmas time?

Not sure where to begin? Let me help! 

I’ve got some great home workouts for you to try, all of which require nothing more than a towel to lie on.

The most important thing that you need to do is get up and exercise, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day. Then, once you’ve developed the exercise habit, you can start to do a little more.

Don’t try and do too much too soon. That’s nothing more than a good way to burn out, get hurt, and lose interest. No one ever gets fit and healthy that way.

5 Minute Stretching Routine for Back Pain Relief (video)

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5 Exercises for Upper Back Pain  (video)

5-Minute Routine to Burn Belly Fat and Get a Flat Stomach  (video)

You really can achieve great results with just a few minutes of exercise, especially if you commit to doing it every day.

Exercise is very beneficial at this time of year because:

• It helps prevent weight gain
• It boosts your immune system – winter is a common time to be ill
• It helps fight stress – the holidays are one of the most stressful
• It gets you out of the house and away from food!

If you find your motivation levels drop during the holidays don’t worry – you are not alone. I know exactly how you feel and so too do many of the readers of Days to Fitness. It’s like we simply resign ourselves to getting fat and unfit over Christmas!

I think it’s a shame to lose all that fitness you spent the last 12-months building and gaining the weight you spent the last 12-months losing so, in this article, I want to help you stay motivated to exercise during the holidays.

1. Do 12-days of Christmas workouts 

Christmas traditionally lasts 12 days – from Christmas Eve to 4^th of January. That’s a long time to put your workouts on hold. Instead, make a commitment to doing a 30-minute workout each one of the 12 days. For example, you might do a gym workout one day, go for a jog the next, ride your bike the day after that, and so on. It doesn’t matter what you do so long as you a) do something different each day and b) clock up 30-minutes of exercise.

2. Exercise with your family 

Christmas is a time for family, so why not exercise with yours? Play active games, play sports, go for family bike rides, go for walks – just get everyone together and go and exercise. Make sure whatever you choose to do is fully inclusive so that no members of the family are left out. Take it in turns to choose the workout for the day, so everyone feels part of the plan.

3. Clear the snow

Clearing snow is a terrific workout for your arms, shoulders, back and legs. If you live somewhere snowy, treat your snow clearing chore as a workout and see just how quickly you can shift the snow. If you have the energy to spare, why not ask your neighbors if they need their snow clearing? It’s not only a nice thing to do; it will help you avoid weight gain as snow shoveling burns an impressive 400-600 calories per hour. No snow? Clear the leaves instead.

4. Walk to visit friends and neighbors 

Rather than drive to go and visit friends and neighbors, put on your shoes and coat and walk instead. Walk briskly, swing your arms, and enjoy being out in the fresh air. Walking is not only good exercise, it’s also good for the environment, and you’ll save money on gas too. If the weather is too bad for walking, take yourself off to the mall and do some serious indoor walking instead. Just don’t stop each time you pass a coffee shop!

5. Bodyweight workouts 

Bodyweight workouts are a great way to stay in shape without going to the gym. All you need is a couple of yards of space and a folded towel to lie on. You can make up your own workout from the exercises you know or type “bodyweight workouts for home” into YouTube and follow along with the videos you’ll find there.

Just 20-30 minutes per day is all you need to maintain your fitness so that when you return to your regular fitness routine, you haven’t lost any of your hard-won conditioning.

Here are some excellent workouts from my friend Patrick Dale who’ll be joining us at Days to Fitness soon to write some exercise articles.

6. Buy an active video game

You could be forgiven for thinking that video games are not much better than sitting down, but some are quite energetic. Games on Wii (available at amazon.com) and Xbox Kinect (available at amazon.com) both involve getting up and moving and, where some are simple shoot ‘em-ups, others are sports simulations.

Both platforms also offer dancing games and workouts too. These games are energetic fun for all the family – kids and parents alike.

7. Use an activity tracker 

Activity trackers use accelerometers and GPS to see how energetic you are and how much you move around. During Christmas, your device might think you have turned into a statue! Use your device to remind you to get up and get moving by setting activity goals e.g. walking 5000 steps or burning 300-calories. If, at the end of the day, you have not hit your target, carry the deficit over to tomorrow and make sure you catch up! (Best Fitness Band available on Amazon.com for $39)

Conclusion

Don’t lose your fitness and gain weight this Christmas. Just because you can’t do your regular workout doesn’t mean you don’t need to exercise. Just 20-30 minutes a day is all you need to maintain your current fitness and prevent Christmas weight gain. Put any of these seven strategies into practice and make this year your fittest Christmas ever!

Included in your program is a Step-by-Step Nutrition Guide to help you stay on track with your eating program. A 30-Day calendar gives you the tools you need to set up your home workout schedule. A tape measure and measurement card will keep track of how well you are doing and you have access to online support 24/7.

In addition you will receive 4 special gifts for free:

1. 25-minute workout for hips, buns and thighs
2. Diet guide or Results on the Run
3. 6-day Slimdown program to help you lose weight
4. DVD that will help you learn more Hip Hop dance routines

You have everything you need to setup your hip hop schedule and start working on those abs.

The reviews are in and 445 people love this workout program. They have given Hip Hop Abs a 4.5 rating out of 5 stars. Most of the reviews mentioned that the program worked and that it was fun to do. It seemed to work for people of all ages and most people had a lot of fun learning the hip hop routines. If you’re sick of sit-ups and crunches this is the workout for you.

Note: Now you can try this workout with the new streaming service, BeachBody on Demand. This service allow you to try different BeachBody workouts with only a small subscription. Find more on my review here.

The 10-Minute Trainer will put you to the test. This program has a workout program that consists of 8 workouts – one for the total body, one for cardio, another one for your lower body, an abs set, a core cardio program, an upper body set, a second total body set, and a yoga workout. With the plan you will receive a couple of calendars, a fitness guide, a nutrition guide, and a support group that is available 24/7.

In addition you will receive four free gifts to add to your 10 minute trainer schedule: a pro-grade resistance band; a 2-day jump start program to help you stay on track with your eating .You will also receive a power cardio belt. You will want to go through all the materials up front so you can map out your 10 minute trainer schedule. When you send in pictures of your results the company will send you a free 10-minute T-shirt that says No More Excuses on the back.

One of the places that you will be able to gain access to this program is on BeachBody on Demand, learn more about this streaming service. This website lets you have access to many of the latest workout programs from the Beach Body family. Sign up for the membership for Beach Body on Demand and you will have unlimited access to just about any program you would like to try. You won’t have to purchase each program to see which one you like the best. You can download it, or watch it on streaming, onto your laptop, tablet, or smart phone. As long as you are connected to the Internet you can workout wherever you like. The 10-Minute Trainer is one of the programs that is currently available online.

The people who have purchased this workout program through the BeachBody website have given it 4.3 stars out of 5 for value and great results. There were 82 people who took the time to write a review. Some people felt that a 20-minute program was not going to be able to deliver the results it was promising. But after putting in the time, most of the consumers were happy they purchased this program. Results were evident just as fast as they were promised.  Don’t underestimate the exercises – one consumer felt the aches and pains but persevered and was glad she did.

Even people who worked out regularly felt the burn after doing this program. But the main thing is that it really works. The workout program is just under $20 and the company has a guarantee . If you find that you are not happy with the results you had hoped for you can return it for a refund. At the BeachBody site you have all the tools to sculpt your own body and shape it exactly the way you want it to look.

Now this program is available at the new streaming service called Beach Body On Demand, here you can find how it works.

The second step is where you push yourself to lift heavier weights. Chalene teaches you how to go past your comfort zone and reach new limits. The last step is lean stretches in this final workout. There is an Extreme Cardio DVD included in your order. When you receive your order you will find 5 free gifts that are worth around $120. You will receive a thigh toner band for your low body resistance, a pro-grade resistant band, a food guide that focuses on burning fat, and an ab burner.

The ChaLean Extreme reviews are in and the people love it. Almost 500 customers gave this workout program 4.8 out of 5 stars. One review called the program a “Life changer.” Other ChaLean Extreme reviews called it a great home workout and another called it a “Must Buy!” One good thing to note is that this program is available on BeachBody on demand. With a membership at this site you can have access to most of the most popular workout programs, ChaLean Extreme being one of them. You can access the program through the Internet on your phone, tablet or computer. BeachBody on demand, more about this new streaming service here, lets you try some of the major workouts before you buy them so you know if they work for you.

When you sign up you will receive four free gifts. You will receive Fuel the Fire Nutrition Guide which will help you get on a healthy eating plan and stay on it. If you stick with the Abs 10 Class you will soon see a six-pack staring back at you in the mirror. You never have to worry about asking a question because you will have access to Online Support 24/7 with live chats and an entire BeachBody, more about this company here, community to help you along. You don’t even have to wait for your order to arrive – you can log onto Instant Streaming and begin your first Fire Starter class right away.

This is actually one of the classes that will be available on BeachBody on Demand. When you get a membership at BeachBody on Demand, learn more about this new streaming service here, you will be able to download any workout programs you like on your laptop, iPhone, or computer. Turbo Fire is a popular program that you may want to make one of the first ones you download. Customers have left reviews saying it helped them break through their plateau. Most people called it the best home workout ever and with 2424 reviews ranking it 4.8 out of 5 you can’t go wrong with this program.

You will get your workouts for Month One as well as your calendar and workout schedule. The 60-day INSANITY Calendar will hang on your wall so you can stay on track with your workout schedule. There is a DVD for the first month and another one for month two. Included in the plan is the Quick Start Guide so you can get going right away and reach your goal in 60 days. Another perk is the Elite Nutrition Plan which consists of the workout diet. There are 60 days of menus as well as recipes to help you stay on the diet.

You will be provided with a team of specialists with your Online Support option. When you sign up you have the chance to receive two more bonus workouts. The first one is a core cardio and balance workout and the second one is Shaun T.’s Fit Test. Once you see where you are you it will make it easier to figure out where you are going and stick with it. Seeing your fitness levels before and after will help you see how hard you worked and how far you have come.

This program, along with other BeachBody workouts, are now available through the new streaming solution BeachBody On Demand. Learn more about this new fitness streaming solution on my review here.

Created by Tony Horton, the exercise program developed for P90X2 train you in such a way that you are working smarter not harder. You will be working out the way that professional athletes work out. You have three different programs to choose from – the Base, Deluxe, and the Ultimate plan. Each kit comes with 13 DVDs, a workout calendar, a nutrition guide, and a fitness guide. The Deluxe kit includes 2 8-1b Medicine Balls, a foam roller, and a 55cm Premium Stability Ball. The Ultimate plan has everything the Deluxe kit has plus a RumbleRoller and Tony Horton’s PowerStands.

No matter which plan you choose, within 90 days you have a good chance of being in the best shape of your life. You may want to start out slow and work your way up to the Ultimate set. One good thing you may want to do is to try the Base program on BeachBody on demand. With this feature from the BeachBody people, you will have access to just about all of their exercise programs. You won’t need to purchase DVDs, you will be able to work right from the Internet. Check out the benefits of getting a membership to BeachBody on Demand on my detailed review and start working out anywhere your laptop or smartphone take you.

Includes a fitness guide, a calendar for your workouts, and a nutrition plan. Choose from three different plans – the Base, Deluxe, and Ultimate. All of them come with the 12 workouts, fitness guide and 3-phase nutrition plan. The Deluxe program includes a chin-up bar, resistance bands and a few more extras. The Ultimate plan has everything that the first two plans have plus extra workouts, Power Stands, and Chin-up Max. The calendar that is included with all three programs helps you set up your own workout schedule.  Included in the 12 exercises is the P90X Ab ripper. It you have always dreamt of having six-pack abs you won’t have to wait any longer. The Ab Ripper set of exercises will help you sculpt your body just the way you want it.

The reason this program is so popular is because it is so well rounded. Start at your own pace in the privacy of your own home and you will be surprised at where you will be in 90 days. There are guides, videos and online support to help you achieve your goals every step of the way.

This program is now available by streaming, at BeachBody On Demand,  along with other popular BeachBody workouts.