12/4/2025Staying Active Through the Holidays: A Physical Therapist’s Guide to Holiday Fitness

The holiday season is full of tradition, travel, family time, and plenty of delicious food — but it can also be one of the hardest times of the year to stay active. Routines shift, schedules fill up, and colder weather makes it tempting to stay indoors. While it’s completely normal to slow down a bit, maintaining movement during the holidays is one of the best gifts you can give your body.

At Cypress Physical Therapy, we see firsthand how staying active helps people feel better, move better, and avoid injuries. A holiday fitness routine doesn’t have to be intense — it just has to be consistent.

Why Holiday Fitness Matters

Physical activity plays a major role in preventing stiffness, managing pain, improving mood, and supporting overall health. But during the holidays, these benefits become even more important:

1. Prevent Aches and Pains from Travel

Long car rides or flights can lead to tight hips, low back aches, and stiff necks. Movement helps counteract the hours spent sitting — and the right exercises can make travel much more comfortable.

2. Keep Your Joints Happy During Colder Weather

Cooler temperatures can increase joint stiffness. Regular mobility work and gentle strengthening keep joints lubricated and supported, reducing pain and improving flexibility.

3. Support Your Mental Health

Exercise boosts endorphins, reduces stress, and helps regulate sleep — all of which people tend to struggle with more during busy holiday weeks.

4. Reduce the Risk of Injury

Less movement + more lifting, decorating, traveling, and hosting = a higher chance of strains and sprains. Staying active keeps your body prepared for the extra physical demands of the season.

How to Stay Active Without Losing the Holiday Spirit

1. Schedule Movement Breaks

Short bursts of activity — 5 to 10 minutes — can have a big impact.
 Try:
 • A quick walk after meals
 • 10 air squats, 10 wall push-ups, 10 marches in place
 • A short stretch routine before bed

These small moments of movement help keep joints loose and muscles activated.

2. Make It Social

Turn holiday gatherings into opportunities for movement:
 • Walk with family to look at lights
 • Plan a morning stretch routine with visiting relatives
 • Play active games with kids

Movement doesn’t have to feel like a workout to be good for you.

3. Protect Your Back While Decorating and Hosting

Bending, lifting boxes, hanging decorations, and rearranging furniture can add up. To stay pain-free:
 • Keep items close to your body when lifting
 • Bend your knees rather than your back
 • Use a sturdy stool or ladder — no standing on chairs
 • Take breaks to avoid repetitive strain

4. Stay Flexible with Your Routine

You don’t need an hour at the gym to stay active. Even if your regular workout schedule is disrupted, small, consistent movement makes a big difference.

Where Physical Therapy Fits In

Physical therapy isn’t only for injuries — it’s also one of the smartest ways to stay strong and prevent them.

At Cypress Physical Therapy, we help patients:
 • Build mobility and strength to support healthy movement
 • Learn safe exercise progressions
 • Recover from travel-related stiffness or strain
 • Manage chronic pain that often flares during the holidays
 • Create personalized home exercise programs that fit busy schedules

Our therapists are here to support your holiday fitness goals in a safe, expert-guided way.

Start the New Year Feeling Your Best

The holidays don’t have to derail your health. A few intentional habits — supported by the expertise of your Cypress PT team — can help you stay active, feel better, and enjoy the season with less pain and more energy.

If pain, stiffness, or old injuries are making it hard to stay active, we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment, and let’s keep you moving strong through the holiday season and into the new year.