Staying Motivated Over Christmas

For many people, training motivation naturally dips around Christmas, and that’s completely normal. With busy schedules, social events, and a change in routine, it’s common to feel less driven than usual.

In this blog, we share some thoughts and tips to keep things ticking over.

You Won’t Always Feel Motivated - And That’s Okay

Training, much like going to work, supports the bigger goals in your life. Most of us don’t go to work every day because we’re excited - we go because it allows us to live the life we want and supports something bigger than how we feel in the moment.

Training works the same way. Each session contributes to a long-term goal centred around health, strength, and capability. Motivation will naturally rise and fall, especially around Christmas, but when it does, the answer isn’t to stop - it is to adjust your approach so training continues to serve you without unnecessary pressure.

Keeping It Simple for Motivation Over Christmas

This may sound trivial, but if motivation is low, the solution isn’t to do more - it is to do less, but consistently.

You don’t need long sessions or complicated programmes to maintain progress over winter festivities. In fact, maintaining muscle requires far less work than building it in the first place.

Even two sessions per week is more than enough to keep things ticking over.

Focus on:

• Simple movements

• Minimal setup

• Exercises you actually enjoy

  
  

Barriers like complex equipment and long workouts are often what stop people from training in the first place.

An example of simple effective programming

Strip everything back to basics, 2 sessions:

Upper:

• Horizontal push and pull superset

• Vertical push and pull superset

• Some arms and pump work if you're feeling it

Lower:

• Squat/pressing movement

• Hinge movement

• Do one or the above as a unilateral variation for some lateral hip TLC

• Some dynamic core work

• Optional leg extension, ham curls, calves if you're feeling it

2 sets, 8-12 reps.

These sessions are 30-45mins.

That’s it.

You don’t need to overthink it. You can split this across multiple short sessions or keep it very minimal - whatever fits best around your social commitments during the Christmas period.

Staying Active over Christmas

Staying active over Christmas doesn’t necessarily have to look like going to the gym. Simple movement can be just as valuable. Going for walks, kicking a ball around with your nephew in the park, playing frisbee with your dog, or taking your dad out for a round of mini golf all count.

These kinds of activities keep you moving, support your physical and mental health, and often come with the added benefit of time spent with people you care about. The aim isn’t to force workouts into your Christmas schedule, but to keep movement part of your day in a way that feels natural and enjoyable.

Missing a Week Isn’t the End of the World

If you miss a session, or even a week, it doesn’t undo everything. Muscle comes back quicker than it was built in the first place, especially if you’ve trained consistently before.

The goal over Christmas isn’t perfection - it’s momentum.

By keeping some form of training in place, you make it far easier to return to your normal routine after the holidays without feeling like you’re “starting again.”

Enjoy Christmas - It’s a Hobby, Not a Punishment

Training should enhance your life, not dominate it.

Enjoy Christmas. Spend time with people you care about. Eat, relax, and recharge. Remember that a short break or reduced training doesn’t erase progress!