If you have young kids, you already know how this week goes.
The routines are gone.
The days are loud.
The sugar intake is… impressive.
And somehow, everyone is wound up and exhausted at the same time.
This isn’t the season to chase perfect workouts.
It is a great season to lean into movement that feels like play.
Movement keeps the holidays calmer (for everyone)
Kids move to regulate their energy.
Parents move to regulate their stress.
When movement disappears, meltdowns increase on both sides.
The goal this week isn’t fitness.
It’s connection, sanity, and sleep.
10–15 minutes counts (especially when it’s shared)
You don’t need equipment or a plan. Try one of these:
Walk the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights
Holiday music dance party in the living room
Reindeer races down the driveway or hallway
Snowball throws (or rolled socks if there’s no snow)
“Get up off the floor” races between gifts or chores
Short. Fun. Done together.
That’s the win.
Let kids see you move too
You don’t need to coach it or explain it.
Just let them see:
you squatting to pick things up
you stretching on the floor
you laughing while you’re a little out of breath
Those moments stick.
They learn that movement is normal, not punishment.
This week is about memories, not metrics
Christmas will come and go whether your workouts are perfect or not.
But the moments you move together?
Those build habits that last longer than the holiday.
So if you do one thing this week, make it this:
move a little, together, on purpose.
That’s more than enough.
~Christie Neighbors