The holidays don’t wreck your fitness—the pressure to train like nothing changed does. Sleep gets shorter. Stress goes up. Schedules get weird. Food and alcohol change. Recovery takes a hit. When that happens, your body adapts exactly as it should. Feeling flatter, heavier, or less motivated isn’t failure—it’s physiology. Here’s the mistake most people make: They try to maximize when the season calls for maintenance. Holiday training should be about: • Maintaining strength • Keeping joints and tissues happy • Supporting mental health • Preserving the identity of “I’m someone who moves” Not chasing PRs. Train smarter right now :• Shorter sessions, fewer sets • Keep intensity, reduce volume • Warm up more than usual • Walk more—movement counts • 2–4 sessions per week is plenty Fitness isn’t fragile. You don’t lose progress in a few imperfect weeks. What does derail people is guilt, all-or-nothing thinking, and trying to “burn off” the holidays. Train to support your life—not escape it—and January becomes a ramp, not a restart. *Question for the group: What’s the hardest part of staying active during the holidays—time, energy, motivation, or expectations?