7 Ways To Burn More Calories This Holiday Season

I’ve officially been back in the gym for TWO WEEKS!

Although it’s a pretty much daily thing for me to complain about DOMS, I’ve been seeing SO much progress with my knee! As of last Friday, I can now sit Indian-style almost completely pain-free…talk about a motivation boost! And I surprised the heck out of myself yesterday when I woke up to SNOW, but got right up, threw on my workout clothes and hit the gym anyway!

Gym Selfie 2

Since I know a lot of people out there (myself included) can sometimes lose their motivation to workout during the holidays, I’ve put together a little list of things that will help you burn more calories than you ever thought possible…

Most without even hitting the gym!

Shorts

1. Sha-sha-sha-sha-shake it, baby!

Whenever you run errands around town, throw on your workout clothes!
Or more specifically, throw on your SUMMER workout clothes…shorts, tanks, the more skin you’re showing the better! Not only will it motivate you to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible without being seen by anyone you know, but you will likely shiver off up to one calorie a minute!

*Bonus points if you hum the Mission Impossible theme while shopping.

Gym Selfie 3

2. Embrace the early-onset Alzheimers!

Before heading out, it’s always a good idea to forget every.single.thing you plan on taking with you…your keys, your wallet, your child…just make sure you are in such a hurry that you only remember ONE thing at a time.

*Bonus points if you have to go UP STAIRS to retrieve forgotten items.

Legs

3. Be a Santa Schwarzenegger! 

With holiday shopping upon us, we’ve all heard the tip of parking in the back of the lot and walking further to the stores, but I’ll do ya one even better…make it a POINT to spoil your loved ones this year with gifts of heavy proportions…Johnny needs a 42 inch television, Susie could really use that commercial-grade stand mixer, and little Tim, well, he’s been eyeing that kayak all year! Once you’ve selected these items, forget the cart and CARRY those bitches to your car!

*Bonus points if you forget where you parked!

Gym Selfie

4. Roll with OUT the punches!

For those of you with back problems, there is an alternative. Go shopping on Black Friday. Center yourself in the middle of the electronics department and proceed to pick fights with anyone who even LOOKS at the latest iPad. Make sure to profile the pageant moms whenever possible.

*Bonus points if you wear a tu-tu and wield a plastic light saber. 

5. Do the domesticated dash!

If you’d rather not surround yourself with the chaos that is holiday shopping, stay at home and do some baking…and cooking AND cleaning all at the same time! The more activities you can pack in at once the better. Oh and it would probably be a good idea to invite your mother-in-law over because we all know a workout is better with a little aggression motherly motivation!

*Bonus points if you vacuum WHILE microwaving oatmeal.

TV Gym

6. Find some {eye} candy!

If you DO happen to have a gym membership and can drag yourself out in the subarctic temperatures (ie, anything below 70°F), be sure to make the most out of the entertainment available. Hop on an elliptical and people watch, cruise Instagram, or drool over James Denton for a solid 33 minutes.

*Bonus points if you moan audibly and/or slip off the machine every 10 minutes.

Gym Selfie Weights

7. Weight a minute!

Whether it be with a group of friends, your favorite blog, or just yourself, find the funny whenever possible. Remember that while this season can be stressful, you can’t take life (or yourself) so serious all the time!

*Bonus points you can get someone to walk like an Egyptian with you.

Do you take an obnoxious number of selfies at the gym?

What workouts are you loving lately?

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48 Responses to 7 Ways To Burn More Calories This Holiday Season

  1. Hahaha I love this. And the way you ended it. The holidays shouldn’t be about freaking out over eating and exercising… I’d much rather put my focus on enjoying myself and spending time with my friends and family!

    One workout I’m loving lately is actually leg workouts. Who am I? I used to avoid them at all costs! But now that I’ve learned proper squatting technique, I don’t get as sore afterwards, so I like doing them a lot more now. Plus it’s motivating to know I’m strengthening my glutes which will help with my running!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      That’s AWESOME Chelsea! One of my goals is also to get back to running…not as much as I used to, but oh my gosh, to be able to run a mile pain-free? Ahhhhh! There’s still quite a difference in the size/tone of my quads and I can only do half squats at the moment, but I’m really hoping to see more progress over the next couple of months…just gotta keep up with the stretching (my glutes tend to get so tight!). Are you still doing your therapy and massage sessions? How’s that working for you?

      • You’ll get there girl!! 🙂

        I’m still going for massages once every few weeks, but I’m really trying to focus on foam rolling in between to help with tightness. And definitely stretching! I haven’t had an actual therapy appointment in a while, but I do the glute strengthening exercises on my own. I should probably make another appointment soon to get back on track with ab work though – I’ve completely neglected that aspect of my physiotherapy because I HATE ab work lol.

        • kissmybroccoli says:

          Oh I’m right there with ya! If I can’t configure it into my workouts on other body parts, I rarely get any ab exercises in at all! Glad to hear you’re having good luck with the stretching and foam rolling! I can’t believe how much of a difference it’s been making for me! I wish I had known this months ago!

  2. Haha #4 is my favorite! I think I’ll go get my kickboxing cardio on while shopping on Friday!

  3. This is too funny! I definitely workout more at home around this time because I hate cold weather! My workouts are also quick and intense because I never have more than 45 minutes to do it. I will definitely try out your advice- especially carrying all the gifts out to my car that I obviously can’t find. Hopefully they aren’t all just for me..

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! Well, if they are, at least you know you EARNED them! 😉 And I’m all about the short and sweet when it comes to workouts…cross training is my friend!

  4. Look at that (s)ass!!! Damnnnn girl! Sometimes I wonder if my thumb liking pictures in Instagram is a workout…probably. These days I’m loving my walks and my yoga! Thought I did hit the gym last weekend and it felt kind of awesome. Maybe again next weekend 🙂

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! Right? Though I should probably switch it up every once and a while and use my left hand so I don’t end up with Hulk thumb or something! Haha! And yeah, I think I triple liked your pic from the gym the other day…or you know, just liked and unliked it until I realized what I was doing…lol! (S)ass <- LOVE IT!

  5. 8. Read Kiss My Broccoli
    It’ll make you DIE laughing, which is an amazing ab workout.
    *Bonus points if you have to pee while reading, because you’ll have to clench so hard your kegel quota will be filled for the next year.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Bahaha! I’m sure you’ll be thinking me immensely when you finally get your conjugal visit from Jake…er, I mean when you get to spend some QUALITY TIME with Jake! 😯

  6. Kat says:

    LOVE this!! Ya, I don’t belong to a gym, so working out in the winter is pretty much all about me getting motivated!! Its especially hard for me since my garage has no heat source…so I either have to workout in my house (which means dragging my weights INSIDE) or I have to deal with the cold and achy joints that come until I get warmed up. SO, needless to say its a big struggle for me, but if I can somehow manage to get myself in there LATER in the day when the sun is up then I’m all good! 🙂

    Oh and congrats on being able to sit indian style now! 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thanks girlie! And wow, I never thought about your garage not being heated! Brrrrr! That would definitely take another level of motivating all together for me…like I’d have to get Ninja to dangle some muffins over my head the whole time! Lol

  7. You’re freaking FANTASTIC!! Love you!

  8. Lucie says:

    Oh my Gosh, I LOVE this.
    Seriously, fighting people while shopping is the best workout ever. I am practising the perfect dive roll at home so I can grab my favorite piece at the store PLUS inhale some of the christmas chocolate collections on sale while flying! Then at least I have some more calories to burn off!

  9. sara @ Fitcupcaker says:

    I suck at selfies to begin with and I dont take that many at the gym. I wish people would take more of us at crossfit though, I always like to see what weird faces I am making during the wod!

  10. calee says:

    Debbie Downer here:

    My grandma died at 70(ish) from early onset alzheimers that started when she was in her mid-to-late 50s.

    Whomp, whomp.

    I totally get what you’re saying though because I swear I run back and forth a million times before I actually get to the gym.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I’m sorry, sweetie. My great-grandmother developed alzheimer’s in her 70’s not long after my great-grandfather passed away. It’s a terrible disease and I hope beyond hope they will have a cure one day. I know it’s hereditary too and as much as I joke around, I really do think I will end up with it later in life…I mean, I can’t even remember HALF of my childhood! Maybe I should start buying up crossword and sudoku puzzles? Or undergo an experimental lobotomy? 😉 <- See? I just can't help it!

  11. Kadee-Cat says:

    I’m laughing my butt off at ALL of these.. and I can’t wait to embarrass my husband later when we run to the store for last minute Thanksgiving goodies. Mission Impossible theme song here I come. (I’m going to also add some dramatic sound effects while dodging slow asses with my cart) 😛

  12. Haha this is hilarious. Now I kind of wish Canadians had more of a Black Friday so I could practice my boxing in the electronics department on Friday…
    Speaking of workouts, I’m currently loving boxing, trx, step (amazingly enough) circuit classes, and dance-based classes. At least I’m getting variety!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I’m so jealous of all that your gym offers! I would love to try a TRX class one day…I hear they’re pretty fun! Right now, I’m working to strengthen up a bit more so I can get back to some of my favorites like Body Pump and yoga…I can ALMOST get into child’s pose! 😀

  13. Sarah Pie says:

    #2 is a daily struggle for me, can I take extra bonus points for running back up the stairs multiple times? 🙂

    This is the perfect dose of fun to remind us all not to take things so seriously and forget the whole fun part of the holiday season. Also I need to get on this whole gym selfie bandwagon… I should probably start by joining a gym, huh?

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! Definitely…especially since I racked up multiple points yesterday when I had to run back in the house THREE times to get stuff! WHERE has my mind gone?!

  14. This post is hilarious! Good tips though…I’m usually up at the ass-crack of dawn to get in some Me time on the elliptical or lifting weights. I’m also a fan of living room yoga. When I can get to a class, I’ve been digging Zumba—laughing at yourself dancing for an hour is the best medicine ever.

  15. Timmy and I BOTH want a kayak…and I don’t want that shitty little one either. efff that.
    Every little thing counts girly. REMEMBER that. You are doing amazing! I think of you when I make little moves to get in a little fitness every day and I KNOW you’re going to reach that goal of yours.

  16. PS I love that you tagged your blog as your favorite blog 🙂

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I was wondering if anyone was going to say something about that! Lol

      And thanks for being there for me, Coach! I was just thinking about what I said in this post and it helped me realize that it’s ok that I missed a workout today…I’m SUPER sore from kicking ass yesterday AND I got like 9 hours of sleep (post my chicken sleep-eating episode!) 😉 I’ve got this!

  17. You never fail to crack me up. How about if I randomly tackle someone in the grocery store in my workout booty shorts for the last can of pumpkin? Or lose my car in the ATL airport with all my luggage in tow? Wait… I HAVE done that. Fail.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh god, airport parking lots are the WORST! But seriously, the last time I lost my car was at the mall…it took me a good TEN MINUTES to find the damn thing! I was starting to panic! Haha!

  18. Yeah I like never take selfies at the gym. I tried after your pep talk of ‘just keep taking them’ but I just feel so silly 😉

    Love this post!! When I first read the title and didn’t know it was your post I was like what silly blog post is this about burning more calories…crazy town I thought. Then I saw it was you and I was like ah of course 😀

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! Yeah, I’ve been wondering how many people will click the link from Twitter thinking this is actually something serious! Muahaha!

      The trick with the selfies? Just BE silly! Make a funny face…then you won’t be so judgmental of yourself! Though with that killer profile of yours, I’m not sure why you’d ever delete a pic! 😉

  19. Jodie says:

    Hot vinyasa.

    Selfies…none, zero, zilch.

  20. Congrats on being back on the gym flow, its always a great thing!!! And I totally always forget where I park lol. Keep up the good work chicky 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you, Sabrina! Though I think I should try to squeeze in some brain exercises while I’m at the gym…maybe start reciting my times tables or something to help with this memory! Lol

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  22. Haha I’m not going to lie I was planning on just skimming this post because I was like “hm, I think I’d rather read a delicious pumpkin recipes or ways to get your family to eat the crazy raw dessert you bring to dinner than ways to burn calories” but you once again wrote the best post ever and totally made my morning and had me laughing out loud before I was even fully awake. And I totally don’t believe you when you said how much editing these posts take, I know it just flows. 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! I was wondering how many people would click the “mark as read” just by going off the title! Thanks for giving me a chance, girlie! 😉 Glad you got a good giggle out of it! And look at that, I’m even alliterative at nearly two in the morning! Nice!

  23. Oh hey there Tina Fey! Excuse me as I giggle like a 4 year old right now.

    Seriously, why do we do strength and cardio workouts when there are all THESE workouts to do? Currently, I’m considering doing that guy’s dance to Beyonce as my cardio workout for this weekend. 2 minutes of HIIT? I’d take that. Or buy a kayak.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! Yeah, that dude totally had some moves! He can booty shake better than any girl I’ve ever seen! I’d totally pay him for twerking lessons! Lol

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  25. Two weeks in the gym. Pain free Indian style. Well hot damn! Get it girl. You’re making me wanna smack that ass.
    That is really, really great news. Not that you were short on any before, but exercise is so good for confidence building. Hence all your cray-cray selfies, which I totally love. If you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? Are you with me or are you with me?

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