Strength Training vs HIIT: Who deserves a seat at your holiday table?

The holiday season is in full swing! While I love this time of year, it does come with busy schedules, a seemingly endless supply of dessert and anxiety over “the holiday weight gain.” If you have read my blog before, you know I struggle with anxiety. I like schedules, predictability and all things Type A. so, the holidays used to really throw me. I was totally the girl who prioritized her workout goals over enjoying holiday cookies. Who would never skip a workout to make gingerbread houses with her family. And who allowed a weight on a scale to ruin Christmas morning. To her, I am sorry, and wish I knew that it was okay to slow down and enjoy this short & sweet season🎄❤️

With that being said, I hope you do not completely lay your fitness goals to rest for the entire month of December. Why? Not just because I am a a super fitness nerd, but because I see how defeating this can be. If you think to yourself, f*ck it I am going to enjoy 25 holiday cookies today because I deserve it, most of the time, you feel worse afterwards. Then January 1st rolls around, you “re-focus”, plan hour long workouts and eat boring salads with chicken. This is not a fun way to live your life. Exercise is not a punishment for what you ate. If you do not exercise, you can eat more than a salad with chicken. Read that again.

For all my clients during the holidays, our goal is simply to maintain the progress we have made throughout the year, and treat our body like it belongs to someone we love. This means keeping up with our workouts because we enjoy them, relaxing a bit with our nutrition, and still eating some vegetables. I know I certainly indulge. Give me all the peanut butter balls and my aunt’s white fluffy fudge. No, a few treats will not totally derail your goals. Your metabolism may even like the extra fuel. I pinky promise.

During the holiday season, even during a pandemic, we know our windows of free time become scarce. So, let’s prioritize the most effective workout possible. Train smarter, not harder my friends. Below, I broke down the benefits of strength training and HIIT training, and shared my opinion of which one works the best.

Strength Training Benefits

• Increases lean muscle mass so we burn more calories while at rest AND support our bones

• Slows muscle loss that naturally occurs with aging, reducing osteoporosis, osteopenia and arthritis side effects

• Reduces the risk of injury

• Assists with weight loss, specifically reducing unhealthy body fat

• Sculpts a toned appearance much more effectively than low intensity cardio

HIIT Training Benefits (High Intensity Interval Training)

• Improves both aerobic and anerobic fitness

• Lowers insulin resistance (aka helps us process sugar more effectively aka so we can eat more cookies)

• Burns calories during the workout AND after

• Results in significant fat loss

So….both deserve a seat at your holiday table!

For optimal health and wellness goals, you need both cardio and strength training!! Specifically, HIIT cardio, if approved by your physician. I have a 79 year old female client who actually requests HIIT workouts twice a week. We monitor her heart rate on her apple watch and she has seen an increase in her respiratory functioning since starting this training model three months ago. Last month she completely eliminated her need for an inhaler (yeah!).

But I am so busy I don’t have time to do both:

Turn your strength workout into a HIIT workout:

1. Limit rest intervals to keep heart rate up and metabolism firing the whole workout

2. Lift heavy. More weight will increase your heart rate!

3. Add in a cardio finisher. A sample would be 4 rounds of 30 seconds per each exercise

• Burpees

• Squat Jumps

• Mountain Climbers

• Jumping jacks

So there ya have it! In my world, the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, but don’t put your health as the last priority. How can you be the best mom, daughter, wife and friend if you don’t spend a little bit of time on yourself?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours XO

**Before beginning a new exercise program, please consult with your physician.