Getting back into routine post-holiday

by Sophie Allen

With the new year underway and holiday season starting to wrap up, it can be difficult to get back into your usual routine. Whether you’ve had some time off work, have gotten back from a holiday, or are just feeling a little out of whack after the silly season (aren’t we all?), it can sometimes feel like you’ve undone all of your progress or are starting from square one. 

Well, I am here to remind you this is not the case gf! Taking a week or two off is not going to derail your progress, and will actually have great benefits for both your mental and physical health. The important thing is that you just get back into your usual routine as soon as possible. But this can be a lot harder than it sounds. So, here are my top tips on getting back into routine post-holiday. 

    1. Focus on one habit at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to go ‘all in’ and picking up from where you left off. Just focus on one or two habits at a time, like getting your steps in and drinking enough water, or ticking off all your scheduled sessions for the week. Then, as you gain more momentum, you can start to add other habits back in again. 
    2. Avoid the scale. Jumping on the scale straight after a holiday can be disheartening. However, if you see an increase, please remember that this is likely NOT fat gain! Holidays are usually full of alcohol, and high sodium/carbohydrate rich foods. These things can cause more water retention in our bodies, which will result in a scale increase. Keep in mind that this will go down as you get back into your usual diet, however if seeing this number is triggering for you, then avoid weighing yourself for a few days post-holiday. 
    3. Don’t overcompensate. Don’t try to over-restrict or do excessive amounts of cardio to ‘make up’ for what you ate on holiday. This will only perpetuate a binge-restrict cycle, and cause you to feel more restricted and unmotivated. Simply continue with your normal training sessions, and don’t cut calories or restrict certain food groups. 
    4. Be realistic. If you took some time off training, remember that you may have lost a little strength, and that is totally okay! Once you get back into your usual training routine you will find your strength returns very quickly, and you will be back where you were before in no time. Set realistic expectations and don’t go too hard too soon, or you will risk injury. 

Remember, just take it one day at a time. You’ve got this gf! 

Soph x

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