With Christmas around the corner, diaries will be full of office parties, family activities and social gatherings. Combined with a growing to-do list of presents to buy and food to prep it’s easy for your training to fall to the wayside.
If you’re keen to keep up your fitness, but don’t know how to fit it in, Run 4 Wales Race Director, and double Olympic marathoner, Steve Brace, shares his top tips on how to stay motivated and active during this time of year:
Move with others. If you plan to run with a friend, you’re far less likely to want to cancel and let them down. You could even turn your usual catch up in the pub into a festive walk or jog – or if you don’t want to break tradition, reward yourself with a well-deserved rest and your favourite tipple there afterwards.
Active activities. Why not combine tasks on your to-do list with upping your steps or adapting your usual runs to get both done? Run to the shops, create a route to take you around the best Christmas lights in the area, or get in your strength exercises while prepping vegetables for Christmas Day.
Enter events. There are lots of Christmas themed events this time of year like the Santa and Reindeer Runs, which are a lot of fun to take part in and make you feel like you’re celebrating the festive period. It’s hard running in fancy dress but it’s great fun and you could even squeeze in an extra mile or two before or after to up your weekly mileage.
Parkrun participation. Check your local parkrun events to see if they’ll be hosting sessions on Christmas Morning and New Year’s Day. These are great fun and a fantastic way to start the day. Again you can extend your run to work up a bit of hunger for Christmas dinner.
Me time. It can be an overwhelming time, especially if the house is more full than usual, so it’s important you’re taking some time for yourself to protect your health and wellbeing. Exercise is well-known to benefit mental health, so find an activity that you enjoy – whether that’s taking a bit of extra time out to walk the dog, jogging part of the Cardiff Half route or heading to your local swimming pool.
Layer up. Getting out the door can be the hardest part when it’s cold, but if you’re wearing suitable kit and you know you won’t be cold on your run, it can help – you could even treat yourself (or ask Santa) for something new to make it more exciting. Layers that can be removed as your warm up, as well as gloves and a buff should help protect your extremities and ensure your run is still enjoyable. If it’s dark outside, make sure you get yourself seen by other road users by wearing hi-viz and a headtorch.
Treat yourself. Why not give yourself something to look forward to when you get back in from your run? A mince pie or cup of hot chocolate tastes even better at the end of it.
Stay hydrated. For many people, the festivities mean drinking more alcohol than usual. If this is the case, pay extra attention to making sure you stay hydrated with lots of water.
Be kind to yourself: Christmas is a busy time of year so if your routine goes out the window don’t beat yourself up. Having some rest can be incredibly beneficial to letting your body recover and connecting with others is just as important for your health and wellbeing too.
Having a goal to work towards is hugely motivating. Run 4 Wales has a wide range of events coming up for 2025 including a variety of 10Ks, half marathons and a marathon, but first up is the ABP Newport Marathon Festival in April.
