Strong Through the Holidays: A Rhythm for Your Busiest Weeks

Is this you? Thanksgiving is a few weeks away. Christmas follows close behind. Your calendar is already full. The work deadlines don't move. Your family needs you. Your church needs you. Your friends need you. And somewhere in the middle of all that, your quiet time with the Lord and your workouts vanish.

Not because you don't care. Because you're trying to keep everything the same when everything has changed.

Arise: Name What Is Really Happening

Right now, you're probably thinking one of two things.

Either you believe you can keep your normal routine through the holidays. Full workouts. Full quiet time. Everything the same. And when you can't, you feel like you failed.

Or you've already decided that November and December are a wash. You'll get back to it in January.

Both come from the same belief: All of it or none of it.

I know this one personally. In my 20s, I could spend an hour and a half at the gym lifting weights. That isn't the season I'm in now. As a working mom in my 40s building RT220, I've learned to protect my time, and I've learned that a workout doesn't have to happen in a gym or take hours.

Some days it's a 15-minute prayer walk. Instead of trying to fit the Lord in after my workout, I invite Him into it. Other days it's 15 minutes at home with a resistance band. You don't need a gym, heavy weights, or hours of free time. And you don't have to be an expert.

Untangle: What Needs to Change

At RT220, I use the Five Strands to look at the areas of life that support your wellbeing:

• Rooted: your relationship with God and your identity in Christ.
• Strong: movement and strength for everyday life.
• Restored: sleep, rest, and nourishment.
• Renewed: the beliefs behind your choices.
• Protected: boundaries and time for what matters.

In the holidays, two of them need your attention most: Protected and Restored. When your calendar has no margin, you borrow from your rest and your time with the Lord.

Jesus knew this. He told His disciples, Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while. (Mark 6:31, ESV) He didn't say rest when you're done. He said rest now, in the middle of the work.

The holidays aren't an exception to caring for yourself. They're a season that needs a simpler version.

Rebuild: The Busy-Week Rhythm

A busy-week rhythm has three parts.

First: a short movement time instead of a skipped one. Have about 15 minutes? Ease into a walk, continue at a comfortable pace, then finish with a few chair sit to stands and wall pushups. Or split it up: a short walk at lunch and a few strength movements later. Walking and strength training both have a place in caring for your health.

Second: time with the Lord, even if it's short. Read one verse while the coffee brews. Pray as you walk. Play worship music while you move. He isn't waiting for your perfect routine.

Third: one protected block on your calendar. It might be the morning before work, Sunday afternoon, or Wednesday at lunch. Choose your time, and choose a backup for when the day gets away from you.

These are examples, not rules. Start with something manageable and build gradually. If you have a health condition or haven't exercised in a while, check with your doctor first.

When Nehemiah shared the vision, the people answered, Let us rise up and build. (Nehemiah 2:18, ESV) They didn't build it all at once. They built one section at a time.

Your busy-week rhythm is one section. You can begin right where you are, using what you have. You're not starting from zero.

Rosa

RT220 is coaching and personal training, not medical care. I coach alongside your doctor.