Your guide to festive fitness

Christmas can be a tricky time for anyone who likes to train regularly. Fitness coach Vivienne Rickman shares her advice for maintaining your fitness among all the mince pie scoffing.

Staying swim fit over the holidays

The festive season can be a tricky time for anyone who trains regularly. Our usual routines slip away as days shorten, pools close early, gyms reduce hours, and travel and family plans take over. At the same time, there’s more food, more drink, and more lounging on the sofa than usual, and the temptation to ‘give up’ and ‘start again’ in the New Year can feel strong. But maintaining your fitness over the holiday doesn’t need to be stressful. Keep it simple and stay connected to your body and the joy of the season.

Keeping moving even just a little

If you’re used to longer swims, or following structured training sessions, the idea of a short 10–20 minute routine might seem pointless. But your fitness doesn’t disappear overnight, with a little nudge here and there over the holidays you can easily keep it ticking over nicely.

Think of these short sessions as not being about pushing yourself to your limit, they are about maintaining your flow, keeping your joints nice and healthy, and staying in touch with your body. Create your own stretch routine on the living room floor, go for a brisk walk around your local area, a quick ride on a bike, or a few rounds of resistance band work to wake up the shoulders and core. You need something that is easy to fit around festive activities, shopping trips, or family time, and that allows you to feel connected to your fitness journey.

Make activity part of the season

If you want to do fitness classes and use the gym and pool then be organised, know the timetables and book yourself in to ensure you get a space. Gyms can be really busy at this time of year with everyone try to cram their workouts into the reduced opening hours. But have a plan for when family life takes over. Remember those short sessions and see if you can blend some kind of activity seamlessly into everyday life, it is a time of celebration after all! Get the family involved with post dinner walks, Joe Wicks on the lounge floor, walking to see Christmas lights instead of driving, or a frosty dip with friends.

Fuel, rest and enjoy

Food is such a big part of the festivities, and it should be. There’s no need to feel guilty about a mince pie, extra roast potatoes, or leftover turkey sandwiches. Your fitness isn’t fragile, and a few indulgences won’t undo months of training. Instead, be mindful about your eating. Notice how different foods make you feel – energised, sleepy, satisfied, or perhaps a little too full. Eat slowly, really taste your food, and enjoy the social nature of meals at this time.

Hydration really does matter, especially if there’s alcohol or festive treats involved. Drink plenty of water and consider switching to low or non-alcoholic drinks sometimes.

Sleep is so important for our training and holidays can be a great time to prioritise this. Allow for moments of quiet, try something simple like stretching before bed, sitting down with a warm drink and reading a few pages of a book, or a brief walk in fresh air.

Be consistent

If we think of the festive break as less about pushing ourselves through hard training and more about small, steady actions that keep us in touch with our body and our surroundings. If you move most days in some way, even briefly. If you enjoy meals mindfully. If you rest and recover when needed. And if you take the chance to connect with the outdoors, then you’ve done enough.

You’ll return to the water in January with your body feeling ready. The usual indulgences not weighing heavy on your conscious, slowing you down, knowing you have maintained your connection and readiness to get straight back in.