When it comes to the holidays, most of us toss out our healthy mind and body habits in favor of things like eating 12 sugar cookies in one sitting, bathing in eggnog, and counting Amazon shopping as cardio. But along with these joys of the season is a decent amount of stress—complex family situations, financial limits, and the worst of all, travel. Suddenly, it’s the new year, you’re more exhausted than energized, and you’ve been in a sugar coma since December 1. Sound familiar?
We’ve been there too. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Luckily, there are some easy ways you can keep the health in your holidays this year, and you don’t even have to cut out the delicacies.
67 Ways to Focus On a Healthy Mind and Body This Winter
Here are 67 healthy mind and body tips to keep your energy high, your stress levels low, and your holidays enjoyable.
7 Fitness apps that make working out easy
Wasted time is the last thing we need during a hectic season, and figuring out what workout to do can definitely be a time-waster. Thankfully, there some tools that can handle this for us. These seven apps make it easy to get a good sweat in and get on with your day. Even better? They’re focused on high-intensity interval training, which means you get a killer workout in way less time. A healthy mind and body have never been easier.
6 Simple moves for a HIIT workout that delivers
Speaking of high-intensity interval training, we’ve taken the guesswork out of it so all you have to do is follow along. To make it happen, simply grab a medicine ball and get started. These six moves make an awesome HIIT workout on their own, but add them to any routine to up the burn.
1 Super effective way to exercise without the intensity
Not into high intensity? To get the big benefits of exercise, you don’t have to be. You can take it slow and light and still get great results. And that’s according to a huge study, not just hearsay. To find out more about low-intensity activity and how to make it work for you this season, read on. Bonus? Shopping counts as long as it’s not online. Now that’s one way to multitask that we totally support.
5 Secrets for building a fitness habit that sticks
Maybe you’re still working on building your healthy mind and body habits, but you haven’t quite succeeded yet. That’s totally okay. In fact, that’s what we’re here for. We walk you through five research-backed ways to make exercise automatic in your routine. And yes, you can build a habit over the holidays. In fact, this might be the best time to do it. You’ll bust stress big time, which will fuel your fire to keep this habit going well into the new year.
The best 5 hip exercises for people who sit too much
It’s not a shock that most of us spend too much time sitting. It’s even less of a shock that this creates some health issues that can bite us in the butt, ironically enough. To offset those hours of sitting in cars, planes, or desk chairs this season, add these five hip exercises to your routine. You’ll strengthen and lengthen critical muscles that can stave off injury and keep you moving all year long.
10 Yoga poses for lower back pain
Consequently, sitting can lead to lower back pain, and so can stress, carrying heavy packages home from stores, shoveling snow, and basically living life. To relax your spine and keep that stress at bay this season, hit the mat for a 10-minute yoga sequence. And don’t forget to hit play too—this instructional video walks you through every movement and breath. So you get the benefits of both a healthy mind and body. Win.
11 Beginner-approved yoga exercises to kickstart your holiday calm
New to yoga? Then this post is exactly what you need. Our certified yoga instructor, Bailey Reagan, demonstrates 11 poses that’ll start your holidays off right and ease yourself into a healthy mind and body habit that packs big benefits. Start your season with less stress and take it into the rest of the year too.
A morning yoga flow that saves you time and serves up a good stretch
We’re not done with this healthy mind and body habit just yet. For a quick and easy yoga routine, follow along with our teacher as she demonstrates a mood-boosting morning flow. You don’t need to be a seasoned pro to get into these poses either. What’s more? You save the time you’d spend getting to a class, so you can hit your holiday to-do list asap.
3 Breathing exercises to bring back your calm now
Now that we’ve covered the body, let’s get into the brain a little more. Despite the fact that we breathe every day to, you know, stay alive, most of us could use a bit more focused breathing to bring ourselves back to calm, relax, and ease stress. These breathing exercises can help you do just that. To make them even more helpful, incorporate one or two into your workday, so you can take on your end-of-year projects with a clearer head.
3 Mindfulness meditation strategies you can use anywhere
Still feeling stressed? Luckily, we’ve got three more ways to even out that work for everyone. You can try one on the go, so your stress relief is holiday-proof. And we mean this literally—one tip is to turn the ordinary everyday moments, like washing your hands, into a mindfulness practice. We all have to wash our hands, even during the holidays. Now you have no excuse not to get mindful this season.
1 Easy way to rekindle your holiday spirit
Truth: Sometimes the holiday stress gets to all of us, and we lose sight of why the season is so special to begin with. That’s where this guided meditation comes in. Sit back, relax, and let our meditation teacher walk you through a loving-kindness reflection that’ll have you sending good thoughts to yourself, your loved ones, and even your enemies. Consider your holiday spirit officially renewed.
14 easy ways to win at wellness all year long
Need a few more tips to keep your holidays healthy? Mindbodygreen breaks down 14 quick ways to boost your body and your brain regardless of the season. You’ll want to try one out right now. For maximum benefit, add them all to your list for a happier holiday and a healthier life.
Your turn: How do you keep a healthy mind and body all year long? Share your winter wellness tips in the comments.
What’s really happening in your brain and body when you’re stressed? We break down the stress basics here.
