We’ve all been there: you visit the relatives for the holidays, you try to politely decline the third helping of lasagna or stuffed turkey, while you are still trying to digest the delicious barbecued chicken. Before you know it, you are packing a few extra pounds you didn’t account for.

As if that weren’t enough, there is simply no time to do your full workout routine, because of the crazy commuting, spending quality time with the loved ones and, last but not least, the sheer volume of food you consume daily (we are dreading the leftovers). This is not the only scenario where you will have to consider adjusting your workout and diet regime. There is no magic bullet to help you with this one. So, what should you do?

Decide When to Exercise

Set a time during the day for your workout. We recommend the early morning, though some people prefer exercising at night. If you are a type of person who truly enjoys the exercise, your routine is already a part of your circadian rhythm, and it is very difficult to derail it.

If you aren’t that into exercising to begin with, the same principle applies, though it might take more willpower. Easier said than done, I know. However, if you notify your friends and family that this is something that is important to you, or, better yet, if you convince them to join you, your routine will be honored and even enhanced.

Adapt

This simply means that you must take several things into consideration. These include, but are not limited to: your food intake, your surroundings, your equipment and your energy levels.

Try not to eat too much, as your body uses its resources to absorb the food. This often renders us immobile and sleepy. Try pacing yourself, eating and drinking in moderation, as well as doing something simple and not strenuous in the meantime. One of the options is a nice and easy walk.

If you can’t go jogging, consider jumping jacks or some other cardio exercise that doesn’t demand a lot of room. There is a chance that you are weightlifting and you don’t have the weights with you? No problem. Focus on calisthenics during the holidays. The key is finding a suitable replacement for your exercises.

Totals

Totals are a type of exercise where you need to do a certain amount of repetitions, or reps, throughout the day. You can do the whole workout in one go, or you could spread it out. For example, if you need to focus on pushups for a particular day, and you need to do a certain number of them, instead of doing one hundred in five minutes, do ten every hour for ten hours.

While totals might not be as effective as your usual workout, simply because there are different routines for different goals, they will make sure your body doesn’t fall behind. You will be ready to continue with your drill in no time after the holidays.