Staying fit and maintaining your regular mountain biking training routine during the festive season can be tricky, especially if you have friends or family coming to stay.

The success of any training program relies on consistency, motivation, and a solid routine, three of the first things to fly out the window as soon as the holidays roll around.

As much as you should give yourself the time and space to relax and enjoy your time off, it’s important not to set yourself back by falling so far out of your regular routine that you feel like you’re starting from scratch in January.

Here are five tips to help you stay fit during the festive season:

1. Take the pressure off. Firstly, you have to accept the fact that your holiday workout routine is going to be slightly (or massively) different from your regular routine. Accept this and do away with the pressure and guilt, those aren’t good for anyone.
2. Stay hydrated! Not that kind of hydration, we’re talking H2O. Try to drink between 1.5 litres and 2 litres per day. It will keep you feeling full and energetic, and flush out all the holiday toxins.
3. Schedule early workouts. This may seem counterintuitive, seeing as it’s your time for resting and sleeping in, but if you wake up earlier than everyone else you can give yourself an extra half an hour to squeeze a workout in before the masses wake up looking for breakfast.
4. Eat slowly and make smart food choices. It’s tempting to let go of your normal food restrictions while on holiday. Be mindful when you’re eating and savour every bite, this will help you enjoy your meal and feel fuller. Make smart swaps at mealtimes so that you can indulge without guilt. If you’re hosting a party, provide healthy snacking options and fill your plate with those, choose a hard seltzer over a sugar-filled cocktail, or choose a side of roasted vegetables instead of starch. These tiny changes add up to a lot of calories.
5. Encourage the whole family to join. Plan daily activities that involve some form of exercise for the whole family. Go for a walk on the beach, ride your bikes down the boardwalk, or go for a short hike. They’ll be having so much fun they won’t even realise you’ve tricked them into helping you stay fit!
6. Stick to your sleep schedule. Try to get eight hours of shut-eye as much as possible. Lack of sleep can impair your judgement and make you feel sluggish, which will make you more likely to reach for high-calorie, sugary snacks.

It’s a Mental Game

The holidays don’t have to be a time of reckless abandon where you fall totally off the wagon. Staying fit during the festive season is completely doable, but you need to change your mindset.

It’s going to take mental preparation to stick to healthy habits, but if you allow yourself to indulge moderately without going overboard, you’ll enter the new year fit and ready to jump back into your normal routine. Devise a game plan for the holiday time – your January self will thank you!

The Sabie Xperience is coming up from 29 April – 1 May 2023. Use these tips to maintain your momentum during the festive season as you prepare for one of the best stage races in the country!