While the holidays are time to rejoice, celebrate and share fond memories, it's also a time for eating, eating and more eating. Wherever you go, whatever you do, food always seems to be the central focus. Keeping your weight in check during the festivity-filled days can be a struggle, good food coupled with jam-packed holiday schedules can interfere with your regular fitness routine.

Still, there are ways to squeeze in a workout so that you're not faced with a few extra kilograms and lapsed exercise habits that require lots of physical and mental energy to revamp.

First, identify a specific motivating goal and let that guide you. If, for example, you want to lose five kilograms by your birthday in February, keep that goal top of mind as you're attending holiday parties by writing it down and posting it in visible spot.

Your goal might be to just maintain your weight over the holidays or even to just keeping going to the gym at least three times per week. Your goal doesn't even have to be fitness related, but it should be one that helps keep you on track during the feeding frenzy.

Beyond that, here's what I suggest for staying in the exercise game during the holiday season in spite of the following fitness obstacles.

Holiday hurdles:

You're too tired to workout

On days when you are too tired to workout, I advise you to push through your exhaustion and exercise anyway. Sound impossible? Not if you remind yourself of your goal and this physiological fact: Exercise creates energy. Working out makes you feel more energetic because it draws fuel to your muscles. It also makes you feel better because it raises the level of serotonin in your brain, a chemical that's associated with a heightened feeling of wellbeing.

Or, pre-emptively strike by working out before going shopping or attending a party, so that it's done and out of the way.

You're travelling a lot

The holidays are a big travel time. To stay disciplined when you're away from home and your normal routine, keep your goal in mind and take your workout on the road.

Resistance bands don't take up much room in a suitcase, and the exercises you do with them in your hotel room can simulate weight training. Waiting time at airports is also a perfect opportunity to go for a long walk. You can also do rear leg lifts while waiting in line or get out of your seat and do walking lunges while flying. Everything adds up and helps you stay fitness focused.

You've got too much to do and no time

During the holidays, your to-do list can balloon, and it feels like there's less time to get through it. But there's always time to do something for yourself, even if you just take your lunch hour and go for a walk.

If you're really time crunched, do your workout, but cut it short. Even if you exercise half as long as you normally do, you'll stay in the habit of exercising and you'll be motivated to make healthy choices throughout the holiday season. Also, give yourself credit for all you do; after all, shopping counts as exercise. Wear a pedometer if you want solid feedback and aim for 10 000 steps per day.

Another option: Exercise the first thing in the morning. If you can get up a half hour to an hour earlier in the morning and get your workout in, you'll feel so good because you'll know that no matter how busy your day gets, your exercise is taken care of.

Negative thinking

A defeatist attitude, such as 'I've already blown it, so I might as well just call off my fitness program until January,' is easy to fall prey to with all the forces of the holidays seemingly conspiring against you.

Don't listen to such negative self-talk. If you over-indulge during the holidays or skip your workout, tell yourself that you haven't ruined everything. Tomorrow, you'll just get right back on track, and do it.

To compensate for the extra calories, go ahead and exercise a little more the next day, if you want to. But don't exercise longer than an hour. If you do, your body will be forced to burn muscle for fuel, which can slow down your metabolism. To increase your caloric output, increase the intensity of your workout by, for example, running instead of walking, for less than 60 minutes.

Ronald's holiday fitness regime:

If you can fit in a vigorous cardio workout earlier in the day, try this quick explosive workout that you can do as you wake, to ensure that you keep your waistline in check during the holidays.

Ronald's 15-minute fat-blast routine:

• March in place and move your arms around (2 mins)


• Lift your knees, alternating legs (20 times; 1 minute)


• March in place and reach your hands out and in (2 mins)


• Lay on your tummy. Kick, alternating legs and swinging your arms (20 times; 1 minute).
  
• Box (1 minute)


• Do 20 jumping jacks (1 minute)


• Kickboxing (1 minute)


• Do 20 jumping jacks (1 minute)


• March in place and reach your hands up and down (2 mins)


• Jog in place (1 minute)


• March in place at a slower pace to cool down (2 mins)