At BPC HQ, our favorite C word is consistency. We probably say it 50 times a day when dealing with our clients and athletes. So mark my words, all good things come with consistency. PRs and major milestones don’t get achieved by that one session you dominated, the time you passed up the fourth meal, or even that one week/month/year you were really focused. Sorry to burst your bubble. But peak health and sports performance are gained over the years/seasons/decades of consistent effort.

Do you know what is consistency’s biggest nemesis? The holidays! It’s no secret that the level of gatherings, indulgences, and responsibilities are off the charts this time of year, and that can lead to a pretty rough restart come the first of the year. So, for those seeking optimal health and sports performance, here are our major tips for keeping consistent over the holidays:

1. DO NOT BREAK YOUR EARLY MORNING HABIT
I know this can sound impossible, but hear me out. When the family is all around (think the opening scene in Home Alone), and things get moving and shaking when others get up, your probability of getting in exercise drops precipitously. Your family and friends have plans you don’t even know about until 10 minutes before, so the early morning is still the golden hour. Ideally, you get up at the same time you normally do, but if you end up staying up later than usual, you can adjust the wake-up time a bit. But think more about when others get up and work backward because that is when the window slams shut!

2. SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING
My favorite phrase to drop into someone’s training when I know their time is slim. You may not think a one or two-mile run is worth it, or 15 minutes of push-ups, squat jumps, and lateral bounds won’t achieve anything…but it does! Especially if there is some intensity to it. A very short bout of high-intensity exercise can get all those great buzzword hormones flowing. And it keeps you consistent.

3. TRICK YOUR FAMILY INTO EXERCISING WITH YOU
At the risk of being found out, this is a classic bait and switch. You simply plan an outing — walk, hike, bike ride, etc. Once everyone is with you, you can slowly and methodically dial the intensity up or down. If they don’t want to keep up, they will let you go on your own. Everyone is happy just being outside. The warning, however, is that this can really blow up in your face with small children. Try to avoid areas with playgrounds, large rocks, sticks, sand, or mud. I’m kidding! You can use all of those things to keep your heart rate up and keep the kids entertained so they don’t ask to be carried…which is also a good workout. I once carried my 4-year-old twins, one in each arm, approximately a mile and a half (that’s what it felt like) from the far corner of the zoo to the parking lot, and it felt like I had done a strong man session. It was great.

4. BRING YOUR OWN GEAR AND PLAN AHEAD
If you are traveling out of your bubble, it removes all excuses if you bring your workout gear. Even a set of resistance bands or a TRX can go a long way. I don’t leave home without my running shoes, bike, and indoor trainer. You can also do a little recon on where you are staying to find the local routes, parks, gyms, etc. There is a great site called athleticmindedtraveler.com that has info on a ton of large cities. RidewithGPS.com and Strava also offer route finders and heat maps so you can see where people ride and run the most.

5. DON’T BE AFRAID TO MIX IT UP
We are after consistency during the holidays, not perfection or specificity. If you have trouble getting into your normal training activities, don’t hesitate to switch it up. That can mean running more trails than roads, rowing if you don’t have a place to ride, or rucking to get the HR up if you are in the middle of nowhere. There are ALWAYS options to stay fit. So, you really have no excuse. There you have it. Keep up your good habits. Plan ahead. Get creative. A little consistency goes a long way.

Trust Your Training!

Dale Sanford is the co-founder of BPC Performance, Inc. and has been coaching individuals and athletes all over the world since 2009. You can catch up with Dale @bpcperformance on IG, or listen to the Coaches on Couches Podcast. If you’d like to start your health or sports performance journey with BPC, visit Buildpeakcompete.com

By Dale Sanford, Performance Coach