How to Enjoy Christmas Without Derailing Your Training

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December is here!! Warmer weather, Christmas catch-ups, extra food, late nights, and a calendar that fills up faster than your inbox. It’s a fun time of year, but it can also be the time when niggles flare up, routines disappear, and good habits slip.

The good news? You can and should enjoy the festive season and keep your body feeling good with just a few simple adjustments. Here’s your realistic guide to staying pain-free and active over Christmas.

1. Don’t Panic If Your Routine Falls Apart

Almost everyone’s training routine gets messy in December and that’s normal and a good thing. One missed week won’t undo months of work. Fitness is built over time, not lost overnight.

What matters is consistency over the whole season, not perfection every day. Even short sessions or light activity can maintain strength and mobility far better than doing nothing at all.

2. Watch Out for the “Three Big December Triggers”

These are the things we see most often cause trouble in the clinic this time of year:

a) Long periods of sitting

Christmas lunches, family gatherings, road trips, flights… it all adds up. Long sitting can irritate backs, hips and necks, especially if you’re already managing a niggle.

Quick fix:
Every 45 minutes, stand up, stretch your hips, roll your shoulders, or take a quick walk.

b) Sudden changes in activity

Going from “busy at work and low training” to “summer sport, beach runs, and gym sessions” is a recipe for overload.

Quick fix:
Ease into any big spike. Do 60–80% of what you think you can do for the first week, then build from there.

c) Late nights + stress

End-of-year deadlines + social events = tired bodies. Sleep and stress both influence pain sensitivity and recovery. We see way too many people scrape through only to get sick or injured then when they finally have a break.

Quick fix:
Protect your sleep on the nights you can control. Even one or two good sleeps per week makes a difference.

3. Keep a Few Non-Negotiable Habits

Choose two or three easy health habits that you’ll maintain no matter how chaotic the week becomes. Examples:

  • A 10–15 minute mobility or strength routine

  • A daily walk

  • Drinking enough water

  • One strength session per week

  • Stretch breaks during work

Simple, repeatable habits keep your body ticking over when structure disappears.

4. Use “Micro Workouts” to Stay Strong

If you can’t make it to the gym, these fast sessions keep your body moving and help prevent flare-ups.

Holiday Maintenance Circuit (10–15 minutes)

  • Squats – 12–15 reps

  • Push-ups – 8–12 reps (any level)

  • Glute bridge – 12–15 reps

  • Side plank – 20–30 seconds each side

  • Calf raises – 15–20 reps

Complete 2–3 rounds.
No equipment. No stress. Just enough to keep you feeling good.

5. Enjoy Yourself!!

Christmas is meant to be enjoyed. Have the dessert. Stay out late. Skip a session. None of this ruins your fitness or your rehab progress and life is there to live.

What actually matters is you enjoy time with family and a break from life, they don’t come around all that often. Returning to your routine once January arrives is completely fine and what makes a good New Years Resolution.

6. If a Niggle Starts, Don’t Wait Until January

A lot of people put off pain until “after the holidays,” but early management makes everything easier. If you notice something brewing, tight back, sore knee or an achy foot, a quick physio session can prevent a small issue turning into a 2026 problem.

December doesn’t have to mean derailed goals or starting from scratch in the new year. With a few simple habits, a bit of awareness, and a flexible mindset, you can enjoy everything the festive season brings and keep your body moving well.