The holiday season, for many, is filled with joy, cheer, and celebration. But for some, it’s also filled with guilt, stress, and overflowingly busy schedules. The latter can be especially true if you’re someone who enjoys living a healthy lifestyle. Between all those tempting treats and the holiday parties that make it impossible to stick to your workout routine, staying healthy during the holidays sometimes seems like more of a challenge than it’s worth. Fitness trainer Stacey Roberts, however, says balancing a healthy routine with enjoying the holidays isn’t actually as complicated as it might seem. She wants people to know it’s okay to enjoy treats and also prioritize what makes you feel and function your best.

‍Give yourself grace

When I spoke with Roberts a few weeks before the holiday season kicked off, she said “It’s important for me to eliminate guilt and shame surrounding holiday foods.  The stress of the holidays is enough without adding more stress about what to/not to eat!!”

For the mom of four, what makes her feel best comes down to the simple-yet-important mantra that we’ve probably all heard before: everything in moderation. “Sometimes I do enjoy treats because [I’m at] a big gathering and we’re having fun, and it’s fun to eat good food and enjoy the company. But I also keep in mind that eating junk food constantly doesn’t make me feel good. Being aware of that helps me to balance out those sweets with things that nourish my body and help me stay in a great mood!” she says. 

Roberts emphasizes that while she doesn’t beat herself up for indulging in some holiday treats here and there, she also realizes that sugary snacks aren’t the best fuel for her body. “I make sure I’m focusing on getting nutrients and protein,” she says, “but also allowing myself the treats.”

Ditch the guilt

Just like it’s important to give yourself grace when it comes to enjoying festive foods, Roberts stresses that it’s equally important to ditch the guilt when it comes to realizing “your workouts might look a little bit different.” 

“Movement is medicine. It’s always something to prioritize,” Roberts says but notes that prioritizing movement doesn’t have to mean your workouts look the same as they always do. “Your workouts might be a little bit shorter and you might skip some more days,” she says.

“I’m going to be traveling for the holidays for one week, and I’m going to take a resistance band with me because it’s super compact and easy, and I’m just going to fit in a little bit of movement every day if I can, but not stress about it and allow myself that time off, and know it might look a little bit different,” the trainer explains. 

While it’s helpful to have a schedule and make time for fitness, Roberts says that with a “rigid mindset, you’re going to end up adding a lot of guilt and a lot of stress. That’s also not good for the body,” she says. 

Countless studies highlight the negative effects of stress on your health, and as Robert notes, stressing about not working out is likely more detrimental to your health than just skipping your workout and accepting you’re not going to make it to the gym that day. “Stress can throw off all of your plans and your results, and it can really sabotage you,” she says. 

To combat this stress and help to adjust your mindset, Roberts says that she likes to “tell people to give yourself the advice you’d give someone else, because we’re harsh on ourselves, so what you would say to someone else is ‘missing a couple of workouts is not the end of the world.’” 

On the flip side, Roberts says that continuing to prioritize her workouts during the holidays helps her to feel not just physically healthier, but mentally. “If I go too many days without a workout, you can totally tell I’m not the best version of myself. I don’t feel mentally healthy as much as I do when I’m moving.” 

Roberts says that she likes to “tell people to give yourself the advice you’d give someone else, because we’re harsh on ourselves, so what you would say to someone else is ‘missing a couple of workouts is not the end of the world.’” 

Take it outside 

Moving though, Roberts says, doesn’t have to mean you hit the gym or stick to your usual workout routine. “We’re moving more in different ways,” she points out. “You might be doing more outdoor activities, or being more active with kids, nieces, and nephews. It doesn’t look the same, but we’re active in different ways and that is still activity.”

Moving in different ways can also mean taking your workout out of the gym and focusing on at-home workouts when you’re pressed for time. Roberts, who specializes in workouts you can do anywhere, recommends bookmarking a few routines and keeping them handy for when you’re short on time but still want a good sweat.

Both Roberts’ Instagram and YouTube are chalked full of strength training, low-impact cardio, dumbbell or no dumbbell workouts, and pretty much any other at-home workout routines you could desire. Ranging from 15 to 40 minutes, they’re perfect for every experience level and are faster and easier than running to the gym if you’re traveling, scrambling to wrap gifts, or at home with the kids. 

And for those who don’t believe at-home or bodyweight workouts work? Roberts simply says to look at gymnasts and calisthenics athletes. “It’s all bodyweight when you’re a gymnast,” says the trainer and former gymnast of 10 years. “All of your workouts are bodyweight workouts, and you look at the level of strength and it’s like, okay, you can build strength from bodyweight alone for sure if you have the right moves.” 

Want more from Stacey Roberts? Find her extensive collection of at-home workouts you can do anywhere @fitness_momness or on her YouTube channel.