--- description: Tis the season for cookies, cocktails and holiday parties. Here's how to keep working out during the busiest time of year. title: 3 Ways to Make Sure You Exercise During the Holidays image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ced1dbbdc97ca4c/6988afda2dce012b1d9eb8e8/winter-holiday-exercise-tips.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 3 Ways to Make Sure You Exercise During the Holidays by [Stacey Griffith](/author/stacey-griffith/) ## Stacey Griffith Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 28, 2016 5:19 PM CUT  A woman in a bright blue top jogging down a snow covered country road, in Montana. A woman in a bright blue top jogging down a snow covered country road, in Montana.Getty Images by [Stacey Griffith](/author/stacey-griffith/) ## Stacey Griffith Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 28, 2016 5:19 PM CUT The holiday season can be a really tough time to stay on top of your [workout routine](http://motto.time.com/4282903/how-to-have-fun-working-out/ "undefined"). It’s cold out, and there are fun places to go and friends to see. Plus, managing your already-busy [schedule](http://motto.time.com/4160268/calendar-do-not-schedule/ "undefined") can get tricky as you try to fit in holiday shopping, parties and family visits. But considering the amount of rich and sugary food that are so common around this time of year — cookies, candies, eggnog, you name it — it’s especially important to keep moving. Here are some things I recommend this time of year to keep you going, even when all you want to do is curl up with more hot chocolate: **1\. Look for every opportunity to squeeze something in**You may feel like you don’t have time to manage your normal workout routine in between travel, shopping, family visits and friends’ parties. But you don’t necessarily need to carve out a full 30 minutes every day. Instead, take any spare moment as a chance to squeeze in a few crunches or planks. Take an extra lap around the mall on your next shopping trip, or walk home from a party with your friends instead of taking a cab. Even if you can only get a 10 minute brisk walk in twice a day, that’s better than nothing! **2\. Fire yourself up**This is something that I do to get me excited and motivated for the day ahead. It’s really simple — I make a checklist in the morning of the 10 things I want to accomplish that day. It’s amazing how gratifying it is to check tasks off that list as you get things done. Make your workout part of that list and don’t let yourself end the day without marking off that box. **3\. Follow through**Recruit others to help you stay accountable. Talk with a friend or your partner about your holiday fitness goals, and have them help you stay on track. Maybe you’ll get a workout buddy in the process, or just someone to text you reminders and motivation. Knowing that there’s someone else out there keeping tabs on your progress may spur you to keep up! [_Stacey Griffith_](https://twitter.com/staceygNYC "undefined") _is a senior master instructor at_ [_SoulCycle_](https://www.soul-cycle.com/ "undefined") _and the author of the upcoming book_ [Two Turns From Zero](https://www.amazon.com/Two-Turns-Zero-Goals-Converting-Strength/dp/0062496840/?tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")_. Stacey’s motivational coaching style combines a passion for dance, athleticism and mind-blowing music—all set to the beat of her voice. Follow her on_ [_Twitter_](https://twitter.com/staceygNYC "undefined")_,_ [_Facebook_](https://www.facebook.com/StaceyGNYC "undefined") _and_ [_Instagram_](https://www.instagram.com/staceygnyc/ "undefined")_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4583238/exercise-motivation-during-holidays/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4583238/exercise-motivation-during-holidays/"},"headline":"3 Ways to Make Sure You Exercise During the Holidays","datePublished":"2016-11-28T17:19:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:03:57.988Z","description":"Tis the season","url":"https://time.com/4583238/exercise-motivation-during-holidays/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ced1dbbdc97ca4c/6988afda2dce012b1d9eb8e8/winter-holiday-exercise-tips.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Stacey Griffith","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/stacey-griffith/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7ced1dbbdc97ca4c/6988afda2dce012b1d9eb8e8/winter-holiday-exercise-tips.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"An Athletic woman jogging in the winter.","caption":"An Athletic woman jogging in the winter.","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4583238/exercise-motivation-during-holidays/","name":"3 Ways to Make Sure You Exercise During the Holidays"}}]}] ```