Sleigh This Season: A Christmas Workout Plan
Santa was spotted drifting past Fitshop late one evening, sled runners brushing the tops of the trees. He looked surprisingly fresh for someone managing the busiest time of the year, and he even showed us a handful of the moves he uses to stay on top of it all. Below you’ll find a Christmas workout plan he shared with us, while he heads back to his route to make sure every present finds its way to the right person.
A quick note before you start: If you’re new to exercise, returning after a break, or living with any pain, injuries or long-term conditions, take this festive workout at your own pace. Everything here can be slowed down, stepped instead of jumped, or shortened if needed. And as always, if you have concerns about your health or any existing medical conditions, check in with a healthcare professional before starting a new training routine.
Your Christmas Workout Plan
Warm Up
Timing: 60 seconds each, repeat twice.
Ho Ho Ho High Knees
A fast-paced cardio drill where you jog on the spot and drive your knees up as high as you can, lifting through the hips and keeping your core braced. Pump your arms, stay tall, and try to keep a quick rhythm. It’s brilliant for getting the heart rate up and warming the legs. If you want to stay on theme, imagine you’re dashing through the snow, shouting “ho ho ho” at anyone who looks even slightly unfestive.
Elf March Lunges
Hold light dumbbells or simply use bodyweight. Step forward into a lunge, placing your foot slightly to the side of your centre line to help you stay balanced. Lower with control, and keep your front knee tracking in line with your toes. Push back to the start position and repeat on the other side. Think tidy, deliberate steps as if marching between workbenches in Santa’s workshop.
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Northern Star Burpees
Drop into a squat, place your hands on the floor, and step or hop your feet back into a steady plank. Hold your core firm, then bring your feet back in and rise sharply. As you lift off the ground, finish with a quick star jump, opening your limbs out wide before landing softly. It blends the quiet drop of a burpee with a bright star shaped finish, a bit like popping up to add the final decoration to the tree.
Strength 1
Timing: 60 seconds each, three rounds.
Toy Train
Take a wide stance with a soft bend through the knees. Hold a light or medium-heavy pair of dumbbells by your sides, elbows slightly bent. Begin making small forward circles with both arms at the same time, copying the rolling motion of a train’s wheels. Keep your torso still, your shoulders relaxed, avoid swaying, and let the momentum of the arms do the work. It builds a slow, creeping burn that sneaks up on you, a bit like a little toy train chugging its way toward Christmas Day with absolutely no intention of stopping.
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Candy Cane Bar Squats
Set the bar comfortably across your upper back, place your feet about shoulder width apart, and brace your core before you move. Sit your hips back and down into a squat, keeping your chest lifted and your knees following the line of your toes. Go only as low as you can while staying steady and in control. Press evenly through your feet to rise back up, focusing on a steady, confident lift (finishing each rep with the same tidy shape as a freshly unwrapped candy cane).
More on this: How to Squat like a Pro
Chimney Hop Ups
Use a sturdy bench or low platform and step or jump up onto it. Stand facing the bench, stay light on your feet, and hop up with a soft landing. Step back down and repeat. Focus on quiet, controlled landings. The less noise you make, the more convincing your “stealth Santa” credentials.
If you don’t have a box handy, you can switch to Fireplace Knee Taps (classic name: High Knee Step Taps, or Knee Drives). Drive one knee up and forward as if tapping a low step in front of you, then switch legs in a quick, steady rhythm. It mimics the upward movement pattern without needing a platform and still gets the legs working.
Rest: Take one to five minutes to catch your breath before you continue.
Strength 2
Elf Shelf Press
Reps: 12 (a little nod to the 12 days of Christmas)
Hold a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height with your elbows under your wrists, press the weights straight up until your arms are extended, bringing the tops of the dumbbells together at the end of the lift, then lower them back down with control. Keep your core steady and avoid leaning back as you lift. It is a tidy overhead press that strengthens the shoulders and upper back, as if you are placing presents on a very high shelf in Santa’s workshop.
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Toffee Stretches
Reps: 12
Hold the band at shoulder height with your arms straight but not locked. Brace your core, keep your chest open, and pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Move only as far as you can while keeping the shoulders activated and the arms level. Return to the start position with control. Picture pulling open heavy curtains to look out at fresh snow, guiding the band back in with the same control you used to pull it apart.
Snowman Holds
Hold: up to 60 seconds or until fatigue
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Lift your arms out to the sides until they’re roughly level with your shoulders, keeping a soft bend in the elbows and your palms facing the floor. Hold that position without letting the arms drift up or sag down. Keep your core firm, your neck relaxed, and avoid shrugging your shoulders toward your ears. The stillness has a definite wintery vibe to it, almost like standing in place trying not to melt while holding the shape of a snowman’s perfectly round arms.
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Snowball Slams
Reps: 10
Hold a medicine ball overhead with your feet set comfortably apart and your core braced. Drive the ball down toward the floor with force, bending your knees as the ball hits to stay safe through your back and hips. Pick it up smoothly and lift it overhead again for the next rep. Keep your arms active and ready to pick up the ball, your grip firm, and avoid rounding through your back as you hinge. It is a brilliant way to release tension and wake up the whole body; it brings that quiet “ah, yes” feeling you get when a snowball hits the ground and fluffs out.
Core
Reindeer Kicks
Reps: 12 per side, repeat for three rounds
Start on all fours with your core braced and back steady. Kick one leg up behind you using the glutes rather than swinging through the back. Bring the knee down with control, then switch sides.
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Equipment Used
Here’s the equipment we used for this festive workout
- 1x Taurus Studio Mat
- 2x Taurus Hex TPE Single Dumbbells, 6 kg
- 1x Taurus 3-in-1 Soft Plyo Box
- 1x Taurus Wall Ball, 5 kg
- 1x Taurus 7ft Pro Olympic Barbell
- 2x Taurus Coloured Olympic Rubber Bumper Weight Plates, 10 kg
- 1x BodyMax Olympic Lockjaw Collars Set
- 1x Taurus Resistance Band Set
Keep the Christmas Spark Going
A bit of movement, a bit of cheer and a few festive touches can make winter training feel far less heavy.
If you fancy adding something new to your home setup, you are welcome to explore our range online or visit one of our shops.
Fitshop wishes you a merry Christmas, a peaceful break and a happy New Year. May your days feel warm, your workouts feel good and your festive season be full of cheer.
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