How to Stay Motivated During the Holidays

The holiday season brings joy, celebration, and connection—but it can also throw your fitness routine completely off track. Between office parties, family gatherings, and endless cookie platters, staying motivated to work out can feel impossible. But here's the truth: maintaining your fitness during the holidays isn't about perfection. It's about showing up for yourself, even when life gets busy.

At Dragonfly, our Sherman Oaks community knows that consistency beats perfection every single time. Here's how to keep your momentum going through the most wonderful (and busiest) time of the year.

1. Schedule Your Workouts Like Holiday Appointments

You wouldn't skip a family dinner or holiday party, right? Treat your workouts with the same respect. Block out time in your calendar for fitness just like you would for any other important commitment.

The best gym in Sherman Oaks for busy schedules? One that offers flexible class times that work around your holiday chaos. Whether you're an early bird who can squeeze in an 8:30 AM session or someone who needs an evening class to decompress after holiday shopping, having options makes all the difference.

Pro tip: Book your classes in advance. When you've already reserved your spot, you're much more likely to show up—even when the couch is calling.

2. Mix Up Your Routine to Beat Holiday Boredom

Doing the same workout day after day can make it easy to skip when you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed. This is where variety becomes your secret weapon.

Spin classes in Sherman Oaks offer an incredible way to burn calories, boost your mood, and ride to amazing music—all while being surrounded by an energizing community. The endorphin rush from a 45-minute ride can be exactly what you need to combat holiday stress.

But don't stop there. Cross-training keeps your body challenged and your mind engaged. Consider alternating between:

• High-energy cycling sessions for cardiovascular fitness

• Strength training to maintain muscle and boost metabolism

• Flexibility and mobility work to counteract all that holiday tension

When you have access to multiple workout styles under one roof, staying motivated becomes easier because you're never stuck in a rut.

3. Find Your Core (Literally and Figuratively)

The holidays can make us feel scattered and off-center. Pilates classes in Sherman Oaks offer a powerful antidote—helping you reconnect with your body, build core strength, and find mental clarity through mindful movement.

Pilates is particularly valuable during the holiday season because it:

• Improves posture (important when you're standing at parties or traveling)

• Reduces stress through focused, controlled movement

• Builds strength without high impact

• Provides a meditative quality that calms holiday anxiety

Even one Pilates session per week can help you maintain your center when everything else feels chaotic.

4. Embrace the Power of Community

Let's be real: working out alone during the holidays is tough. But working out with a community? That changes everything.

There's something magical about walking into a studio where instructors know your name, where you high-five familiar faces, and where the energy of the group carries you through tough moments. When you're part of a fitness community, you're not just showing up for yourself—you're showing up for the people who expect to see you.

This accountability is gold during the holiday season. Your fitness family becomes part of what keeps you consistent when motivation wavers.

5. Adjust Your Expectations (And Give Yourself Grace)

Here's what staying motivated during the holidays DOESN'T mean:

• Working out six days a week when you're traveling

• Never indulging in holiday treats

• Maintaining peak performance while juggling a million commitments

• Feeling guilty when you miss a workout

Here's what it DOES mean:

• Showing up when you can, even if it's less frequent than usual

• Choosing movement that makes you feel good, not punished

• Celebrating the workouts you DO complete

• Remembering that something is always better than nothing

If you usually work out five times a week, maybe you aim for three during the holidays. If an hour feels like too much, do 30 minutes. The goal is to maintain the habit, not to be perfect.

6. Make Fitness Part of Your Holiday Stress Management

Instead of viewing workouts as another item on your to-do list, reframe them as your escape FROM the to-do list.

That cycling class? It's your break from holiday overwhelm, where you get to zone out to great music and just ride. That strength training session? It's where you release the tension you've been carrying. That Pilates class? It's your moving meditation.

When you think of fitness as self-care rather than obligation, motivation shifts from something you have to do to something you GET to do.

7. Try Something New

The holidays are the perfect time to shake things up. Always been curious about a particular class format but never tried it? Now's your chance.

Many fitness studios offer special holiday class formats, themed rides, or challenge programs that inject fresh energy into your routine. Trying something new activates different muscle groups, prevents boredom, and might just become your new favorite workout.

8. Set a Post-Holiday Goal

Sometimes the best way to stay motivated NOW is to have something to work toward LATER.

Consider signing up for a January challenge, booking a post-holiday trip where you want to feel your best, or setting a specific fitness goal for the new year. When you have a tangible target on the horizon, it's easier to make choices today that align with that future vision.

9. Remember Your "Why"

Take a moment to reconnect with why fitness matters to you. Maybe it's:

• Having energy to play with your kids or grandkids during the holidays

• Managing stress and anxiety during a chaotic season

• Maintaining strength and mobility as you age

• Setting a positive example for your family

• Simply feeling like yourself in a season that can feel overwhelming

When you're clear on your deeper motivation, it becomes easier to prioritize movement even when it's inconvenient.

10. Make It Non-Negotiable (But Flexible)

The most successful people during the holidays don't wait until they "feel like" working out. They make fitness non-negotiable—but they stay flexible about what that looks like.

Maybe your usual routine is:

• Monday: Spin class

• Tuesday: Strength training

• Wednesday: Pilates

• Thursday: Rest

• Friday: HIIT class

During the holidays, it might become:

• Monday: Spin class

• Tuesday: Travel day – 20-minute hotel workout

• Wednesday: Rest (but walk after dinner)

• Thursday: Strength training

• Friday: Pilates

See the difference? The commitment stays, but the execution adapts to reality.

Your Holiday Fitness Action Plan

Ready to stay on track this holiday season? Here's your simple three-step plan:

Step 1: Look at your calendar right now
Identify the busiest weeks and the realistic number of workouts you can commit to. Be honest with yourself.

Step 2: Schedule those workouts
Block the time, book the classes, make it official. Don't wait until the week of—plan ahead.

Step 3: Show up
Even when it's hard. Even when you'd rather not. Even when you have a thousand other things to do. Show up for yourself.

The Bottom Line

Staying motivated during the holidays isn't about being superhuman. It's about being consistent, flexible, and kind to yourself. It's about finding a fitness community that supports you, classes that energize you, and a routine that adapts to your life.

The holidays will come and go, but the habits you maintain now will carry you into the new year with momentum instead of starting from scratch. And isn't that the best gift you can give yourself?

Looking for a welcoming gym in Sherman Oaks where you can maintain your fitness momentum this holiday season? Where spin classes in Sherman Oaks feel like a party, and Pilates classes in Sherman Oaks help you find your center? Come experience what makes Dragonfly different.

Because here, fitness feels fun again—even during the busiest time of year.

Ready to stay consistent through the holidays? Check out our flexible class schedule and book your spot today. Your future self will thank you.

New to Dragonfly? Try us out with our 2-week trial for $40 and discover why our community makes fitness feel different.

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