Christmas Workouts You'll Want to Do!

 Proverbs 31:25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” 

DECEMBER MOVEMENT FRAMEWORK:

1. Choose Your “Non-Negotiable Minimum” Your minimum is the smallest version of a workout you will always do.

• 10-minute walk-8-minute strength circuit-12 minutes of Pilates-10 minutes of stretching.

2. Choose Your “Preferred” Workouts- These are more structured workouts you do as time allows.

- 20–30 minutes strength-Fitness class-Long walk -Yoga session- These are bonuses — not expectations.

3. Use the “Two-Day Rule” 

4. Keep it SIMPLE

5. Connect Movement to Your Mood, Not Your Weight!

 ** Here is YOUR 3-TIER DECEMBER MOVEMENT PLAN:

Tier 1 — YOUR MINIMUM - Something you can always do:

• 10-minute walk
• 8-minute strength circuit
• 10-minute bodyweight routine

Tier 2 — YOUR PREFERRED- When you have more time:

• 20–30 minute strength
• A class you enjoy
• Longer walks
• Pilates or yoga

Tier 3 — YOUR BONUS- Only if you want to:

• A long hike
• A full workout video
• A 30-45-minute session

- - 12-Minute “Christmas Strength Flow” Do each move for 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds:

1. Squats
2. Push-ups (wall, counter, or floor)
3. Glute bridges
4. Marching high knees
5. Reverse lunges
6. Plank (knees or toes)

Repeat 2 rounds = 12 minutes. 

Gingerbread Protein Smoothie:

• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1 cup almond milk
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
   Blend + enjoy a festive, nourishing treat.

Lord, thank You for the gift of movement, help us to love our bodies this Christmas, what a beautiful gift we can offer ourselves. Father, please help the woman listening see her worth in being your daughter, help her seek to honor You in all she does and how she moves today. Remind her that her strength comes from Your Holy Spirit inside her. Give her the strength to use the fruit of discipline that you have instilled in her. Give her comfort in discomfort Lord, we know movement isn’t easy for many of us. Help her to find movement that empowers her Jesus! We thank You for the fruit of discipline and joy! Let movement be a place of worship, not pressure. Help us move to honor You, In Jesus’ name, amen.

Are you sick of trying diet after diet and NOT losing weight?

Hey there friend, I'm Lindy Schlabach, Christian Fitness & Nutrition Coach. I gained 100 pounds in my late twenties and struggled for years to get it off. Seven years ago, I found a basic system that worked and has helped me lose 90 of those pounds. I’ve been working with women in online fitness and nutrition ever since to break chains of diet culture, embrace their bodies and fueling instead of dieting.

In this podcast, I'll teach you how to:

• • Lose Weight in a Way that honors God without obsessing about the scale
  • Meal Plan and Prep for Your Family
  • Follow a MACRO based plan that allows you to eat the foods you love.
  • Recognize and pray through triggers keeping you stuck.
  • I’ll help you Plan your week and schedule your self-care time.
  • Cultivate a spirit of self-discipline in your workouts you actually enjoy.
  
  It's time to give God your health journey and watch Him make you new, from the inside, OUT.

Join The Biblical Weight Loss Framework: https://www.herweightlossmindset.com/framework

Join my FREE Community: https://bit.ly/JoinTheChristianWeightLossCommunity

Join my Insiders List with weekly tips for weight loss for Christian women: http://herweightlossmindset.com/herweightlossmindsetinsiders

Transcript

Hey, Fran, welcome back to our Christmas Wellness Series. So today, we're diving into something that feels hard every December. How do I actually keep moving when my schedule feels chaotic?

December feels busy, and when movement slips, motivation slips with it. But here's the truth.

Movement is one of the most powerful stabilizers of your mood, stress, sugar cravings, sleep, metabolism, and emotional balance during every day, but especially the holidays. The key is not perfection. It's consistency with simplicity.

So today's word comes from Proverbs chapter 31 verse 25. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. Strength is not just spiritual.

It's physical. And you are clothed with strength and dignity. God designed your body to move, and movement strengthens every part of your life.

So today, I'm going to help you build a December workout plan that you will actually do even on your busiest days. You're going to want to jot these down, so go grab a pen. Are you sick of trying diet after diet and not losing weight?

Are you tired of doubting your ability to actually lose weight in a healthy way? Do you wish you could find a laid out for you plan that will help you stay accountable to your goals? So grab your pre-workout and let's chat.

Don't forget the Biblical Weight Loss Framework is kicking off a fresh group accountability coaching program January 5th. The Biblical Weight Loss Framework is a 90-day approach to weight loss God's way. It's not a diet.

It's not just some other thing to check off your belt that you're not going to do.

It is connecting with the Holy Spirit in your weight loss journey and learning how to seek God strategically and tactically with things that are actually going to help you release weight for good. Like it's not coming back.

We're not going back there again. So join the Biblical Weight Loss Framework and let's work on your specific struggles so that we can heal your mind, you can heal your body, and walk in your God-given purpose.

Find the link to join us in the show notes or at herweightlossmindset.com/framework.

2:34

Workout Obstacles

So for years, I lived in the start and stop workout life. I was 250 pounds and I couldn't physically do a workout. And even after I started to get some of the weight off, like it was constantly a struggle.

I remember there was a season of my life where I would come home from work. I had a pretty long commute and I would set my alarm for 7 p.m. and I would allow myself to eat dinner and take a nap.

And then at 7 o'clock, I was going to get up and I was going to get on my treadmill in front of the TV and I was going to walk and it was a struggle. I mean, sometimes I'd have to hit my snooze 47 times and it was just excuse after excuse. It's hard.

I'm sore. I'm not losing weight. So what's the point?

But the one thing that I really have come to learn is that we don't exercise to lose weight. Weight loss comes from your fork.

But we do exercise for peace, for therapy, and to strengthen our bodies and our hearts because God's Word is clear about treating our bodies as temples. And how in the world are we going to be disciple makers if we're unhealthy in our bodies?

We know what havoc that wreaks on our mindset. So here are a few reasons that your December workouts are going to fall apart. One, the plan is too long.

A 45-minute workout is great, but if that's not realistic for your schedule, it becomes a source of guilt and shame. To be honest, 30 minutes is the sweet spot for me, but even that can seem like a mountain at this time of year.

So focusing on making the best of the time that you do have is going to help keep you empowered to keep moving through this season of chaos. So something that might be holding you back is a plan that requires too much prep.

Finding a class, packing a gym bag, driving across town. December does not support complicated fitness plans. I've been doing at-home workouts with Beachbody consistently since 2016.

It is literally the only way that I stay on track. There are 10-minute, 15-minute, 20-minute, 30-minute workouts and more for every fitness level.

So if you want to help finding one, will you shoot me an email at info at herweightlossmindset.com and put workout help in the subject line. And I'll email you a few samples that you can try and we can find a workout that's going to work for you.

Find something that makes you feel empowered. Don't use lack of equipment or space as an excuse. The workout I've been doing for over a year requires one to two pound weights.

Sometimes I don't even use weight and I don't have to wear shoes and I only need about five feet of space. So you can always find something that's going to work for you. Another thing that doesn't work is all or nothing thinking.

Well, if I can't do it perfectly, I won't do it at all. Yesterday, I did not want to work out. Adelie was at the sitter and I didn't do it before she woke up in the morning, which I don't ever do.

I just needed some time for my body to rest and I was making every excuse to not work out. The Lord nudged me to drink my pre-workout and so I did that.

I just drank it and then I started my workout and in about 10 minutes, I had not only started my workout, it actually sailed by and I had fun doing it.

But I really had to prayerfully ask the Lord to give me what it was in that moment, what I needed, which was pre-workout.

So if you need a pre-workout recommendation, email me at herinfo at herweightlossmindset.com and put pre-workout in the subject and I'll send you a link to my go-to pre-workout. So literally, I don't exercise without it.

I mean, I've tried but my workouts struggle and I feel completely worthless. Like, why did I even do that? Any workout is better than no workout, but don't you want to have fun doing it?

I do. So another reason that you might be struggling is that you're waiting for motivation. In December, motivation drops and that's normal.

To be honest, I don't even believe in motivation. Like, discipline and Holy Spirit conviction are what lead to getting up and getting moving. Discipline is a fruit of the Spirit.

If Christ is in you, so is the Spirit of Self-Discipline. You have to get out of your own way. If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done.

I can promise you, losing 90 pounds did not come from me just sitting down and doing what was comfortable. I cried, I sweat, I fell, I sat, and I got up again and again and again to continue to do a workout. Now, I love exercise.

It is the one staple in my healthy part of my lifestyle that I do not sacrifice because I know what it does for my mindset. Another reason maybe you're struggling is that you're disconnected from your why.

Maybe you forgot how much better you feel when you move. I want you to make a simple mindset shift. December is a maintenance month, not a max performance month.

You don't need to make gains right now. You just need to move.

7:17

Movement Framework

So, I put together a simple December movement framework that is sustainable and powerful. The first thing you're going to do is choose your non-negotiable minimum.

So, your minimum is the smallest version of a workout that you will always do no matter what. So, maybe that looks like a 10-minute walk or an 8-minute strength circuit. Maybe 12 minutes of Pilates or 10 minutes of stretching.

I'm going to tell you this. If you have lower back issues, it's probably lack of mobility in your hips. So, 10 minutes of stretching, you think, well, what's that going to do?

I'm telling you, when you start to remove the inflammation in your hips, you're going to start to remove inflammation in the rest of your body. Get a foam roller. It hurts.

It sucks sometimes. Do it anyway. Stretch.

Foam roll. This will be the change in how your body adjusts when you start to implement harder workouts. This removes decision fatigue.

Your brain knows, even on my hardest days, I still show up. I still move. The second thing that you can do is choose your preferred workouts.

These workouts are longer, they're a little more structured. These are things that you do when the time allows.

Maybe that looks like a 20-30 minute strength session, or a long walk on the treadmill, or outside, yoga, maybe yoga, or the workout I recommend if you shoot me an email. These are just bonuses, not expectations.

So if you don't have time for 20-30 minutes of strength, that's okay. Go for a 10-minute walk. Do an eight-minute strength circuit.

Just do something. Then use the two-day rule. Never go more than two days without movement.

For perfection purposes, but to stay connected to your rhythm. You start to lose muscle in three days. So two days of built-in rest is fantastic.

I often rest on the weekends, or do, like, Sunday, I never exercise, but on Saturdays, I might foam roll, or do a mobility workout, or take the dog for a walk, or get on my walking pad, like, just something to get my body moving a little bit.

Not in a heavy exercise way, just to move. And if you miss one day, normal. If you miss two, get up, move.

It keeps you from sliding into a slump and using that lack of motivation as an excuse. No more excuses, right? Grace.

Grace over grind. And then keep your movement simple. Your December workouts should not require driving, or changing into gym clothes, or setting up equipment, or complicated instruction.

The simpler it is, the more likely you are to do it. Yes, you don't need shoes, just show up. And then connect movement to your mood, not just your weight, because as I mentioned before, weight loss happens in the kitchen.

However, when you move, you gain a better mood. You lower your stress, your cravings are fewer. You sleep better, you're less likely to eat emotionally.

You will have more confidence, you digest better, you have more energy. Movement is emotional and spiritual support. It's not punishment for what you ate.

It's not punishment for your weight. Movement is a blessing.

10:16

Strength Flow

So how do we actually apply this to our life? So here's your three-tier December Movement Plan. You can write this down in your planner today, are you ready?

Tier one is your minimum, something you can always do, which is that 10-minute walk or eight-minute strength circuit or a 10-minute bodyweight routine. Tier two is your preferred when you have a little bit more time.

So maybe that's 20 to 30 minutes of strength, maybe a class that you enjoy or a longer walk, maybe that looks like Pilates or yoga. And then tier three is your bonus, only if you want to, a long hike, a full workout video, a 30 to 45 minute session.

But again, the goal is not perfection. It is showing up. So here's your 12 minute Christmas strength flow.

Do each move for 45 seconds and then rest for 15 seconds in between. Okay, you're first going to do squats. Then you're going to do push ups either on the wall, the counter or the floor.

Preferably knees if you don't have your push up form down pat. I still do push ups on my knees with a band over my elbows. Okay, don't feel pressure to do a push up and then hurt yourself.

If you don't know how to do push up form, look up a tutorial on yoga, okay? Do some glute bridges, fantastic for hip mobility. Marching high knees, again, we're not doing hip workouts, especially ladies over 40.

Keep your heart rate in your zone too. And then reverse lunges, this is a great way again for hip mobility, gives you some quad workout, lots of benefits here.

And then you can do plank either on your knees or your toes and give yourself again that 45 seconds. So if you're in plank and you can hold it for two seconds, fine. Maybe drop to your knees or lay down and then try again for two seconds.

When you're doing these, I hope you're setting a timer. Like I set the timer on my Garmin for 45 seconds. And then if I need to rest in my plank, like just rest, it's okay.

But don't just rest for the whole time. If you get up for two seconds and then you need to take a rest, rest for two seconds and then get up again. Keep trying, stop quitting.

You're not gonna change your unhealthy habits if you keep quitting. We're not quitting anymore because we're relying on the Holy Spirit strength and discipline inside of us. You can do this.

So you're gonna do two rounds of this, which is 12 minutes. And this workout, using your body weight, boosts metabolism, it lowers stress, it stabilizes your blood sugar.

And these are the best types, especially ladies over 40, the best types of movement that you can do to change your physique, okay?

12:41

Nourishment and Support

So I again want to give you a recipe to keep you inspired. And today's recipe is a gingerbread protein smoothie. Oh my gosh, it sounds so good.

So you're gonna take one scoop of vanilla protein. Again, if you need a protein recommendation, shoot me an email, info at herweightlossmindset.com, and put protein recommendation in the subject line.

You're gonna take one scoop of vanilla protein, one cup of almond milk, half a frozen banana, one teaspoon of cinnamon, half teaspoon of ginger, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, you're gonna blend that, put it in your fun Christmas mug, and enjoy a festive

nourishing treat. And you don't have to use almond milk. I oftentimes don't like the quality of almond milk that you can find in the local grocery store. Khalifa Farms is a great brand for almond milk.

I do coconut milk, the unsweetened coconut milk. And then we also do raw milk at our house as well.

So if you're gonna do something like that, if you want raw milk, you could do like 4 ounces of raw milk with 4 ounces of water or 4 ounces of raw milk with 4 ounces of almond milk or coconut milk, just whatever you prefer.

So I want to share with you daily macro tip. Strength Training equals metabolism support. December is a great time for strength because it protects your metabolism.

It increases muscle, it improves insulin sensitivity, and it reduces cravings. It prevents weight regain, all right? Macro Tip.

Strength Training equals metabolism support. We're still focusing on that 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, 4 to 5 meals a day, okay? So 8 minutes counts, 10 minutes counts, 12 minutes counts.

So as you think of your movement goals for the month, ask yourself what movement helps me feel like the best version of myself. Write it down. Commit to it.

Choose your minimum and stay steadfast this December. You can do this, beloved. You can do this.

I always have gentle encouragement in my free community. If you haven't subscribed to my email list yet, you can do that at herweightlossmindset.com. Once you join the mailing list, I will send you an automatic link to join my free community.

Hop in there. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the gift of movement. Thank you for our strong bodies, Lord, and for our mobility and muscle and the gift of love for our bodies this Christmas.

It's such an amazing thing that we can offer ourselves, Father. Remind us who we are in you, Father. Help the woman listening to see her worth in being your daughter.

Help her seek to honor you and all she does and how she moves today. Remind her that her strength comes from the Holy Spirit living inside of her. Give her the discipline to use the fruit that you have instilled in her.

Give her comfort and discomfort, Lord. We know movement isn't easy for many of us. Help her to find movement that empowers her Jesus.

We thank you for the fruit of discipline and joy. Let movement be a place of worship, not of pressure. Help us move to honor you, Father.

It's in your name we pray. Amen. Hey sis, I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

If so, would you take 30 seconds and share it with a friend? Also, please leave a quick review for the show on Apple Podcast. It lights me up to know this podcast is helping you.

Okay, it's time to go make a protein shake and get my sweat on. No more standing in the kitchen waiting for motivation to appear. I will meet you back here for another episode.

God bless.