Balancing Pilates during 'Silly Season'

It’s the holiday season. What a busy time of year! For many of us, it’s even busier than normal because of the past few years, catching up with everything we missed and squeezing it all into a month or two - plus the added time pressure of working back on-site for many of us, increased traffic on the road, kids activities back, and the rest, it really can earn its name 'silly season' if we let it. 

There’s really never been a better time to incorporate some time at home for your Pilates workouts. It’s the ultimate convenience of squeezing some Pilates practice in around everything else and going to bed feeling satisfied that you’re still looking after your body through movement. 

The team at YR have put their heads together to give you some tips for keeping consistent with your practice despite the pressures of many commitments in the lead-up to The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year:

• Keep your stress levels at bay - whilst reformer Pilates is a mindfulness practice on it’s own, we recommend you incorporate a stretch and meditate into your week at least once to help keep those cortisol levels lower
• Avoid over indulging, certainly have a drink and some sweets here and there but try to avoid a binge situation on either - you’ll only feel guilty and you won’t feel like Pilates after that!
• Move with the family and focus on incidental movements, there’s plenty of walking to be had when you’re shopping for gifts. The weather’s improving so get outdoors with the kids. You’ll feel better about yourself if you’ve been moving each day, even if it’s not on the reformer. 
• Love this time of the year and those holiday tunes? Make your own special playlist that will get you in the ‘jolly’ mood whilst you workout. And don’t forget a little festive decoration around your reformer bed. 
• Going away over the holidays - no access to a Reformer? Grab your YR accessories (they're portable!) and get some mat Pilates into your day
• Look at your schedule over the next month and re-do your ‘workout schedule’ commitment. Make it fit with what’s happening in December for you and don’t worry if it’s not as much as you’ve been doing. You’ll get back there but now is about being realistic.