Darkness, cold, dominoes: The temptation to hibernate on the sofa just before the end of the year is great. Yet even small steps in December have a big effect on starting the new year on a good footing. The masters of summer are made in winter. And in the winter you have enough time to become better and better at https://www.betamo.com/en-NZ/games/live-casino.

It’s the same dilemma every year that we athletes slip into at the end of the year: For all the discipline we may have exercised over the past eleven months, in December we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of loud sweet temptations in the form of dominoes, mulled wine & stollen. In addition, the end-of-year stress robs you of a large part of your usual training time, and the weather conditions outside don’t exactly make it easier for us runners to increase our annual mileage once again.

But we all know how things turn out in January: on New Year’s Eve, utopian plans are hectically made to improve the somewhat deranged body composition due to Christmas indulgence; on January 2, lots of money is spent on tools and gadgets that are supposed to simplify the implementation of these plans; and by the Feast of the Three Kings, many sports enthusiasts are already capitulating to the excessive opening of their wish-reality gap.

All this does not have to be nevertheless. The tip: Stay already now in December with a few very simple and especially small steps to come not only healthy, fit and cheerful through the Christmas season, but especially so that you can start the new year with even more energy, health and optimism.

Healthy, fit and cheerful through the Christmas season

What to do? Set a December routine right now that will under-challenge rather than over-challenge them, but whose effectiveness and appeal lies in the fact that you follow it every day. 

FOUR MINUTES IS ALL IT TAKES

Anyone and everyone has that to spare. You don’t even have to change your clothes. You do such simple things as squats, lunges and stretch jumps, or practice holding still in what’s called a plank. A small colorful bouquet of stabilization exercises for a strong core. The body quickly implements the mini stimuli.

Of course, if you already do extensive and intensive strength training every two days, these cute exercises won’t push you very far, but anyone who finds it hard to motivate themselves to do a few push-ups will be amazed at how well and quickly the body implements these mini-stimuli. What is really important here, however, is the DAILY routine!

You should start immediately and not skip a single day until New Year’s Eve to feel the promised effect. There are also a few more rules:

1. take at least three exercises every day. The exercises can be different every day, however, at least one exercise should be really difficult for you every day.

2. determine the number of repetitions yourself, which should be 10% below your maximum performance. Example: You can barely do 20 push-ups at a time? Then do only 18 at a time, but do them cleanly and neatly. 

3. alternate the exercises cleverly: One day the focus is on your leg strength, for example by doing squats, and then the next day you work on your upper body, for example by doing classic sit-ups.

4. warm up a little before strength training: Three times a week I recommend a long run of 30 to 40 minutes anyway – but you have the time… even in stressful December and despite darkness – and on the other days you could vacuum the apartment, take out the trash, remake the beds or dust the cabinets and door frames. Does your cleaner do all that? Then you can just jump rope for 60 seconds, run up and down the stairs or do 50 jumping jacks. The main thing is that your blood gets pumping, your breathing rate increases and your muscles warm up.5. on particularly packed days only one thing helps: get rid of the exercises first thing in the morning! Still with the toothbrush in your mouth, you can do ten calf raises, ten side lunges and ten stretch jumps at the sink in the morning, for example.

6. food trap holidays: be sure to go for a run in the morning on days when you know in advance that they will be eating over-caloric and alcoholic food. The longer the better. Eat nothing or very little that day until the holiday feast begins, but then enjoy it to the fullest!