The smell of freshly baked mince pies. The tubs of chocolates on the coffee table. The bottles of bubbly lining the fridge door. It’s no wonder why so many of us lose sight of our fitness goals during the festive period.

For the avid gym-goer, who’s used to meticulous meal prepping, morning sweat sessions and early nights, there’s nothing like a month of Christmas celebrations and festive food comas to disrupt your daily rituals.

That being said, we want you to know, you don’t have to sacrifice that second serving of pudding in pursuit of a new personal best. With some thoughtful planning and realistic expectations, you can have your (Christmas) cake and eat it too while keeping your fitness goals on track. 

Here are our eight top tips on how to stay consistent while embracing everything great about the festive season.

HOW TO STAY ON TRACK WITH YOUR FITNESS GOALS

We’ve all heard of the ‘everything in moderation’ mantra, so if you’re indulging in that second helping of pigs in blankets after a week of healthy choices, don’t beat yourself up.

Food should be fun and free of anxiety or guilt, so empower yourself to embrace the extra carbs and use them to train harder and lift heavier with confidence. All of the extra glycogen in your muscles is ideal for high intensity movement, meaning there’s never been a better time to try for a new PR.

While Christmas might well be the most magical time of the year, it can also be the most exhausting.

It’s important to make time to deload and embrace recovery, as this will allow your body to rest, helping to relieve soreness and fatigue. It will also give your mind the necessary space to recharge, so you can refocus ahead of the new year.

Remember, Christmas is a time to enjoy yourself and if you put it into perspective, it’s only two weeks out of 52. 

If you’re struggling to schedule your usual workouts due to a busy social calendar, try to plan a more intensive session to make the most of your workout window. Try VIIT (Variable Intensity Interval Training) to target all the muscles in your body, as well as the various energy systems. This will improve strength and endurance while burning more calories.

As well as this, focus on big compound movements that work multiple muscle groups like squats, deadlifts and bench press. You can easily cut that two hour workout into a 45 minute full-body session and still see significant gains!

Setting yourself a challenge is a good way to keep you on the straight and narrow over Christmas. 

It’s easy to get bored of the same old workout routine, so try something new, like an early morning 5k walk or uphill running in the park. Granted, both are a challenge, but anything that can add movement to your day will positively impact your health - and your goals.

If you don’t fancy venturing out into the cold, an at-home workout can be just as effective.

This is the number one thing to bear in mind when it comes to your fitness regime over Christmas. Everyone deserves a rest and the festive break is a great time to take some well-earned downtime. 

Keep sight of your fitness goals, but don’t be too hard on yourself - perfect is the enemy of good. Instead of pledging to hit the gym every day, try to reduce this to three or four days a week and up the ante during these sessions. Alternatively, try to maintain a low, but sustainable level of exercise, such as a short walk every morning, half an hour of yoga at the weekend or a quick 10-minute blast of HIIT.

Places to go, people to see, potatoes to roast? How you’re meant to do all that and make it to the gym is a mystery. 

Well, why not kill two birds with one stone and combine your workouts with socialising by inviting a friend or loved one to tag along? Exercising with a friend is a great way to ensure you see your fitness goals through, as you can hold each other accountable for showing up to the gym and cheer each other on.

If you know when you’ll be out boozing and filling your face with food, try to plan your workouts around these times. For example, if you have a Christmas party coming up, put a workout in your diary the morning of or, if you can hack it, the day after. Knowing you have a workout planned will help you stay focussed and be guilt-free.

It’s also worth noting that our bodies are better at burning carbs and sugars after an intense workout. Time your heaviest meals one-to-two hours after your session. Carbs consumed post-workout are more likely to be used for recovery and stimulating muscle gains, and are less likely to be turned into fat.

The festive season would be nothing without a few delicious sweet treats, but if you want to keep on top of your fitness goals, be sure to also incorporate plenty of vitamins and nutrients into your meals.

The easiest way to do this is by making dinners ahead of time, taking willpower and decision-making out of the equation. This will also help you to control portion sizes, so you’re less tempted to over indulge.

The best part? The nutrients from leafy greens and other winter veg will give you a healthy festive glow and help replenish energy levels, so you can keep going (and going) throughout the party season.

We know how important maintaining your fitness goals is - and, so much so, we see it as our duty to do everything we can to help you do just that.

But, girls, we also want you to remember to enjoy Christmas. Spend time with loved ones, celebrate with friends and don’t be afraid to say yes to that second helping of turkey! You’ve earned it.