![\"healthy](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alternativemedicine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/healthy-holidays.jpg?resize=678%2C381&ssl=1\"\/ "\\"healthy")
![\"healthy](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alternativemedicine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/healthy-holidays.jpg?resize=678%2C381&ssl=1\" "\\"healthy")
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You can make holiday wellness work for you by staying flexible with your regimen, weaving movement into family traditions, and going easy on yourself\u2013especially while traveling.\u00a0With family gatherings, packed travel plans, and to-do lists a mile long, the holidays can throw even the healthiest lifestyle off track.\u00a0<\/span>But caring for your well-being this season doesn\u2019t have to mean refusing every cookie or squeezing in rigid gym sessions.<\/span>According to <\/span>Samantha Harden, PhD<\/span><\/a>, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech\u2019s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, it\u2019s more about being realistic\u2013and also kind to yourself.<\/span>Here are Harden\u2019s top tips to help you maintain a healthy routine throughout the busiest season of the year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Harden says the biggest roadblock to maintaining well-being during the busy holiday season often isn\u2019t a packed schedule\u2013it\u2019s actually the expectations we put on ourselves.<\/span>\u201cWe expect to have time off and be our \u2018best selves\u2019 when we step back from work and have all the space to create healthy routines,\u201d she says. But that typically isn\u2019t our reality.<\/span>\u201cWe set ourselves up for failure thinking we\u2019ll be swimming in time that is actually usurped with all our other holiday activities\u2013ones we love and the ones we loathe.\u201d<\/span>So, try letting go of rigid expectations this year. Focus on connection, flexibility, and fun. And look for small ways to support your well-being along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n The holidays may make you feel as though you need to do it all: cook elaborate meals, maintain regular workouts, see every friend, and still have plenty of time to relax.\u00a0<\/span>But that kind of pressure often leads to frustration when real life doesn\u2019t match up.\u00a0<\/span>Harden urges people to let go of perfection and adopt a more compassionate mindset. <\/span>\u201cDuring the holidays and always, don\u2019t think of one meal, day, or season away from healthy habits means failure,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>Research confirms that rigid thinking around food and fitness often leads to:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAn all-or-nothing approach does not work for most things\u2013don\u2019t let the act of being a human become even harder by having expectations that don\u2019t match your goals, behaviors, circumstances, or resources,\u201d she adds.<\/span>If you overindulge or miss a workout, give yourself some grace. You can always get back on track tomorrow.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n Harden recommends weaving wellness into routines you already have\u2013a strategy called \u201chabit stacking.\u201d<\/span>\u201cAlways eat dinner? Add a short family walk and talk after,\u201d she says. \u201cAlways brush your teeth? Share [something you\u2019re grateful for] in the mirror.\u201d<\/span>Studies show that attaching small, low-effort habits to things you already do makes the new behaviors more likely to stick.<\/span>If you need a little more motivation, try making healthy practices fun by \u201cgamifying\u201d them and getting the family involved.<\/span>\u201cTry to make a game of any activities, such as a plank challenge every time dishes are completed or having a bingo card of movement breaks,\u201d Harden suggests.\u00a0<\/span>Together, these strategies can help you build healthy holiday traditions the whole family will enjoy.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s normal to feel less motivated to exercise during the busy holiday season. But movement doesn\u2019t have to mean a full workout, and involving other people can help you stay accountable.<\/span>\u201cCall a long-distance loved one on a stroll in the neighborhood or sign up for group fitness classes with someone so you feel that you\u2019re supporting them as much as they\u2019re supporting you,\u201d Harden says.<\/span>Social accountability not only makes it easier to follow through, but makes working out more enjoyable. And studies show you\u2019re more likely to stick with an exercise regimen when you associate it with positive emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re traveling over the holidays, you\u2019ll likely need to be even more flexible with your wellness regimen.\u00a0<\/span>Travel can be unpredictable, and research shows when your circumstances keep changing, having rigid health rules often backfires, leading to overindulging.<\/span>\u201cMove whenever you have time, stay hydrated, and give yourself ample time so backups and delays do not add more anxiety,\u201d Harden says.<\/span>That might mean:<\/span><\/p>\n These habits may seem small, but they can work wonders to support both physical and mental well-being while you\u2019re on the go.<\/span><\/p>\n When you\u2019re short on time and low on energy, it can help to zoom out and broaden how you think about wellness.<\/span>According to Harden, there are six dimensions of well-being:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe during the holiday season, you\u2019re putting less time or other resources into your physical well-being, but you\u2019re putting more into your perception of close social relationships,\u201d Harden says.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cLet that be enough on your well-being checklist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n During the holidays, it\u2019s hard not to miss the occasional workout or eat a little differently than usual. But it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve failed.<\/span>Harden says what matters most is finding small ways to support yourself and easing up on expectations that create unnecessary pressure.<\/span>This year, build in the habits that feel doable\u2013quick walks, moments of gratitude, and time with loved ones\u2013and let them boost your sense of well-being all season long.<\/span><\/p>\n References:<\/span>The role of self-compassion and its individual components in adaptive responses to dietary lapses \u2013 ScienceDirect<\/span><\/a>Does diet strictness level during weekends and holiday periods influence 1-year follow-up weight loss maintenance? Evidence from the Portuguese Weight Control Registry<\/span><\/a>Small changes, big impact: A mini review of habit formation and behavioral change principles<\/span><\/a>Effect of a Gamified Family-Based Exercise Intervention on Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Behavior Recommendations in Preschool Children: Single-Center Pragmatic Trial \u2013 PMC<\/span><\/a>Perceived social integration predicts future physical activity through positive affect and spontaneous thoughts \u2013 PMC<\/span><\/a>The stress of travel \u2013 PubMed<\/span><\/a>Experimental effects of brief, single bouts of walking and meditation on mood profile in young adults<\/span><\/a>Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood \u2013 PubMed<\/span><\/a>Concept of mental health and mental well-being, it\u2019s determinants and coping strategies \u2013 PMC<\/span><\/a>Feeling Socially Connected and Focusing on Growth: Relationships With Wellbeing During a Major Holiday in the COVID-19 Pandemic \u2013 PMC<\/span><\/a>Even a joyous holiday season can cause stress for most Americans<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n You can make holiday wellness work for you by staying flexible with your regimen, weaving movement into family traditions, and going easy on yourself\u2013especially while traveling.\u00a0With family gatherings, packed travel plans, and to-do lists a mile long, the holidays can throw even the healthiest lifestyle off track.\u00a0But caring for your well-being this season doesn\u2019t have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":350799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11764],"tags":[281,1868,1634,1298,3535],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-350798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alternative-medicine","tag-easy","tag-happy","tag-healthy","tag-season","tag-tips"],"yoast_head":"\n1. Lower your expectations<\/span><\/h2>\n
2. Go easy on yourself<\/span><\/h2>\n
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3. Make wellness a part of your holiday traditions<\/span><\/h2>\n
4. Make exercise a social event<\/span><\/h2>\n
5. Be flexible about healthy habits while traveling<\/span><\/h2>\n
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6. Redefine what well-being means during the holidays<\/span><\/h2>\n
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The bottom line<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Related<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"