The holidays eat your schedule, your sleep and your usual routine. A 20-minute holiday workout is how you keep the thread without missing the party.
Why a 20-minute holiday workout is enough
Between travel, family, leftovers and that one cousin who talks for an hour, your normal training week probably isn't happening. That's okay. The goal for the next two weeks is not progress. It's maintenance, and a bit of sanity.
Twenty minutes of focused strength work, a couple of times this week, keeps your habit alive and your joints happy. The Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines recommend adults aged 18 to 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week and do muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. Two 20-minute strength sessions and a few walks gets you most of the way there.
Here are three options. Pick one, ignore the rest.
Workout 1: The living room circuit (no equipment)
Set a timer for 20 minutes. Do 40 seconds of each move, rest 20 seconds, and cycle through 4 times. Do 5 moves per round for a total of 20 intervals.
- Bodyweight squats
- Push-ups (hands on a couch or counter if you need to)
- Reverse lunges, alternating legs
- Glute bridges
- Plank on forearms
Move smoothly, not frantically. Quality reps beat fast ones.
Workout 2: The backpack builder (a bag and a chair)
Fill a backpack with books or water bottles and make it a weight. Do 4 rounds of the following, resting as needed.
- 10 goblet squats (hold the backpack at your chest)
- 10 backpack rows per side (one hand on a chair, bag in the other)
- 8 per side split squats
- 10 hip hinges holding the bag (push your hips back, flat back)
- 30-second plank
If it feels easy, slow down the lowering part of each rep to 3 seconds. Nothing humbles a squat like tempo.
Workout 3: The 20-minute ladder (for when you're at a gym)
If you're home for the holidays near a gym, or you've got Boxing Day free, here's a quick one. Set a 20-minute timer and cycle through these for as many quality rounds as you can:
- 6 dumbbell or kettlebell goblet squats
- 6 push-ups
- 6 dumbbell rows per arm
- Walk or jog 100 metres, or 20 seconds on a rower
Next round, go up to 8 reps. Then 10. Then back down. Keep a bit in the tank every round.
If you're in Toronto and want to train, our open gym is a good home base, but check holiday hours before you go.
Warm-up and cool-down in four minutes
Don't skip this just because the workout is short. Before you start, spend two minutes on easy marching or jogging in place, ten bodyweight squats, ten arm circles each way and a few cat-cows. After, walk around for a minute and stretch your hips and chest. Holiday sitting is tough on the hips, so a little love goes a long way.
Training while you travel
If you're away from home, the hotel room or the spare room at your parents' place is a perfectly good gym. Push-ups on the floor, split squats using a chair for balance, single-leg glute bridges, and planks need nothing. A towel and a hardwood floor make a decent sliding-lunge setup. If there's a staircase, step-ups are great. If you're stuck in the car for hours, stop for a ten-minute walk every couple of hours. It beats arriving stiff and cranky.
How hard should it feel?
You want to finish tired but not wrecked. A good rule is that you could have done two or three more clean reps at the end of every set. If you're gasping and sloppy, slow down. If you're chatting between sets, push a bit harder or shorten your rest. Intensity should match how you slept and ate last night, which, if you've been to three parties this week, might mean taking it easy. That's fine.
How to make it stick through the holidays
- Lock in a time. Even a rough "morning" helps. Holiday days dissolve fast.
- Lower your standard, not your attendance. Ten minutes still counts.
- Walk after meals. A 10-minute walk after a big dinner is easy, social and good for you.
- Get family involved. A snowy walk through High Park or a game of pickup is exercise and tradition.
- Don't punish yourself. Eating a lot of food over a few days does not need to be "burned off." Enjoy it, then go back to normal.
If you've never done much strength work, this is a nice low-stakes way to start. Our beginners page explains how we help people ease in, and our classes are there when your calendar frees up in January.
Quick answers
Can I get a good workout in 20 minutes?
Yes, if you choose a few big movements and work with focus. A circuit of squats, push-ups, lunges and bridges can be challenging and effective.
What is a good holiday workout with no equipment?
Bodyweight squats, push-ups, reverse lunges, glute bridges and planks. Do them in a circuit for 20 minutes.
How often should I work out over the holidays?
Aim for two or three short sessions and some walking. That's enough to keep your habit going without stressing the schedule.
Is it okay to take a week off?
Yes. A short break won't undo your progress. If you can, do a few short sessions so getting back in January feels easy.
Start the new year strong
Join a class in January and keep the momentum going.