• December 4, 2025

If the holidays had a personality…

It would be that friend who shows up unannounced, brings three desserts, leaves crumbs everywhere, and tells you, “Relax… calories don’t count in December.”

Meanwhile, your routine quietly slips out the back door.

But here’s the shocker: the average adult gains only 0.8–2 pounds during the holiday season—not the mythical 5–10. (We’ve all blamed it, though. “It wasn’t me… it was the stuffing.”)

The real issue is this:

Those 1–2 pounds? They tend to stick.
Year after year.
That’s where trouble begins.

So this year, you’re invited to try something different—whether that means keeping your exercise routine during the holidays or bravely deciding to start personal strength training now instead of waiting for January’s tidal wave of abandoned resolutions.

And yes, we’re daring you. Nicely. Supportively. With love.

Why Staying Active (and Strength Training!) Matters More During the Holidays

Below are the Top 5 Reasons women 45–80+ benefit most from staying consistent—or finally getting started—with low-impact personal training, 20-minute strength sessions, or beginner-friendly fitness coaching during the busiest season of the year.

Let’s dig in…

1. Stop the Slow Holiday Weight Creep

Here’s the truth your jeans already suspected:

Holiday weight gain averages 0.4–0.9 kg (≈1–2 pounds).
Not dramatic.
But steady.
And stubborn.

Because most adults never lose it afterward.

The good news?
Just 2–3, 20 minute personal strength sessions per week work like a “metabolic seatbelt,” preventing that annual inching-up-the-scale moment.

Imagine January you saying, “Wow, past-me really took care of future-me.”

That’s the whole game.

2. Lower Stress, Anxiety & Holiday Overwhelm

Women—especially moms and grandmothers—report that the holidays are more stressful than tax season. (Those gingerbread-house competitions are no joke.)

Exercise:

• Lowers cortisol
• Boosts endorphins
• Helps you feel calmer, clearer, and more in control

Strength training is like emotional “bubble wrap”—you can handle more without popping.

You don’t need perfect workouts.
You need exercise that keeps you sane.

3.Keep Your Energy, Sleep & Immunity from Crashing

Holiday travel.
Late nights.
Rich foods.
Heated family debates about who makes the best pie.

All of these chip away at sleep and immunity.

Short, low-impact strength sessions:

• Improve sleep quality
• Stabilize energy
• Support immune function
• Help you feel less wiped out by parties and travel

Think of strength training as your holiday “power bank.”
Charge yourself up before your energy goes into low-battery mode.

4. Maintain Strength, Mobility & Routine (Your Future Self Will Thank You)

Skipping a couple weeks doesn’t seem like a big deal… until it is.

Even short breaks lead to “detraining,” which makes January workouts feel like square one.
And for women 45–80+, it’s especially important to preserve:

• Muscle
• Joint stability
• Balance
• Confidence
• Functional strength

Two or three weekly 20 minute personal strength training sessions of slow, joint-friendly strength training protect your progress.

And if you’re just beginning?

This is actually the easiest time to start—because you only need to maintain consistency, not perfection.

5. Protect Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar & Cholesterol

Holiday meals tend to come with:

• More sugar
• More saturated fat
• More alcohol
• More portion sizes that defy physics

Strength training acts like a metabolic buffer:

• Supports blood pressure
• Helps manage blood sugar spikes
• Improves cholesterol
• Reduces inflammation

Your body becomes better at handling the indulgences—not because you avoided everything, but because you balanced it with smart movement.

Holiday magic?
Nope.
Holiday science.

The 5 Most Common Holiday Exercise Excuses—And How to Outsmart Them

EXCUSE #1: “My schedule is insane.”

We get it.
December has more moving parts than a Swiss watch.
But short is the new effective.

BUT… a 20 min. strength sessions gets you in and out and ON WITH YOUR HOLIDAYS

Time isn’t the problem.
Perfectionism is.
And we’re ditching her this year.

Just how up, get it done.

EXCUSE #2: “I’m too tired and stressed.”

This is like saying, “I’m too thirsty to drink water.”

Movement actually:

• Increases energy
• Reduces fatigue
• Lifts mood
• Shrinks stress

Try exercising before you hit empty.
A little goes a long way.

EXCUSE #3: “I already overate. What’s the point?”

Classic “all-or-nothing” thinking.

If you spill water on the floor, you don’t say,
“Well, the whole kitchen is ruined,” and dump the entire pitcher.

One big meal isn’t a failure.
It’s just a meal.

Your next choice still counts. Choose to keep your exercise routine…or dare we say, START!

EXCUSE #4: “I’m traveling / it’s cold / I’m off my routine.”

Understandable.
But predictable.

Just start AGAIN when travel is over. Show up how ever you are and get it done.

Excuses are heavy.

EXCUSE #5: “I’ll start fresh in January.”

January is the biggest “exercise ghost-town month” by February.

Real talk:
If you can stick to anything during the holidays—even small, imperfect actions—
January becomes a continuation, not a comeback.

Consistency beats intensity.
Progress beats perfection.
And December-you deserves to feel good now—not in 6 weeks.

A Gentle Holiday Dare: START Strength Training Now

Waiting for the “perfect time” is the oldest trap in the book.
But the holidays are actually the best time to begin strength training:

• Expectations are low
• Wins feel big
• Schedules are flexible
• You get ahead of January
• You feel strong while everyone else is sinking into the couch

And for women 45–80+, strength training is one of the fastest ways to:

• Improve energy
• Boost confidence
• Support cholesterol and blood sugar
• Protect joints
• Maintain independence
• Feel good in your body again

Just two short sessions a week can change the whole trajectory of your winter.

Final Word: You Don’t Need Perfect. Be Mindful [And a Bit of Planning].

This season, aim for:

• Consistency, not intensity
• Movement, not punishment
• Strength, not stress
• Mindfulness, not perfection

The holidays may be chaotic, but your health doesn’t have to be.

REFERENCES

WebMD – “The Truth About Holiday Weight Gain”:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/holiday-weight-gain-big-fat-lie

NIH / New England Journal of Medicine – “A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain”:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4336296/

Mayo Clinic News Network – “Weight gain over holiday season – tips to manage calories at parties”:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/weight-gain-over-holiday-season-tips-to-manage-calories-at-parties/

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – “Study Examines Holiday Weight Gain”:
https://www.eatrightpro.org/news-center/practice-trends/holiday-weight-gain

Innerbody – “Maintaining a Healthy Weight During the Holidays: Survey”:
https://www.innerbody.com/maintaining-a-healthy-weight-during-the-holidays-survey

Michigan State University Extension – “Being physically active can help you manage holiday stress”:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/managing_holiday_stress

UCLA Health – “Going into holiday season with a plan slows weight gain”:
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/going-holiday-season-with-plan-slows-weight-gain

American Heart Association Newsroom:
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/new-survey-79-of-survey-respondents-overlook-their-health-needs-during-the-holidays-find-the-holidays-more-stressful-than-tax-season

Private Practice Section, APTA – “Healthy Holidays”:
https://ppsapta.org/blog/marketing/healthy-holidays-maintain-your-exercise-routine-and-reduce-stress

El Camino Health – “Concerned About Holiday Weight Gain?”:
https://www.elcaminohealth.org/stay-healthy/blog/concerned-about-holiday-weight-gain-maybe-you-dont-need-be

ScienceDaily – “Survey finds Americans struggle to maintain healthy habits during the holidays”:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231204135305.htm

New York Times – “The Claim: You Gain 5 to 10 Pounds During the Holidays”:
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/health/nutrition/31real.html

Garage Gym Reviews – “Beating the Holiday Slump”:
https://www.garagegymreviews.com/holiday-slump-prevention

State of Illinois – “Reducing Stress Over the Holidays”:
https://cms.illinois.gov/benefits/stateemployee/bewell/getmoving/december2023-reducing-stress-over-the-holidays.html

Utah State University Thesis – “Effects of the Holidays on Body Composition”:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1300&context=etd

Women’s Resource Center – “Sweat Out the Stress”:
https://wrcameronwellness.org/blog/sweat-out-the-stress-using-fitness-to-stay-calm-during-the-holidays/

NIH – “Effects of Exercise Training during Christmas on Body Weight”:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7369896/

NIH – “Strategies to Manage Holiday Weight During a Worksite Wellness Program”:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8019277/