How to Keep Running Over Christmas

Christmas has a habit of changing our routines.

Work winds down, family arrives, journeys are made, meals get longer and the days seem to disappear remarkably quickly. The running routine that fitted neatly into everyday life can suddenly become much harder to maintain.

But keeping running over Christmas doesn't mean choosing training over the festivities. Nor does it mean sticking rigidly to your usual schedule.

Sometimes, the best approach is simply to keep moving, enjoy your running when you can and accept that a little flexibility is part of the season.

Don't chase perfection over Christmas; protect consistency.

Accept That Your Routine Will Change

For many runners, Christmas week simply isn't a normal training week — and there is nothing wrong with that.

You might be travelling, staying with relatives, entertaining friends or spending more time with your family. A run that normally happens at 7am on Tuesday may no longer fit.

Instead of abandoning your running because you can't follow your usual routine, adapt it.

A 30-minute run instead of an hour still counts. Moving a run to another day still counts. An easy run instead of a demanding session still counts.

Consistency doesn't mean doing exactly the same thing every week. Sometimes it means finding a way to keep going when circumstances change.

Make the Most of the Time You Have

One of the easiest excuses over Christmas is: I haven't got time.

And sometimes that's true. You may not have time for the session you originally planned.

But could you find 20 or 30 minutes?

A shorter run can be surprisingly satisfying, particularly when you've spent much of the day indoors. You don't necessarily need a route, a pace target or a complicated session. Put your running shoes on, head outside and run.

If motivation is particularly low, make the first commitment small. Tell yourself you'll run for 15 minutes. Once you're outside, you may decide to keep going — and if you don't, you've still done 15 minutes more than you would have sitting at home.

Use Running as Time for Yourself

Christmas can be wonderful, but it can also be busy.

There are people to see, presents to organise, meals to prepare and places to be. Even enjoyable social occasions can leave very little quiet time.

Running can provide it.

A few miles outside can give you some space away from the noise and allow you to return feeling refreshed. It doesn't have to be a serious training session. Sometimes the value of a Christmas run is simply having half an hour to yourself.

That mental break may be every bit as valuable as the physical exercise.

Turn Running Into Part of Christmas

Running doesn't always have to take you away from Christmas. Why not make it part of it?

Arrange an easy run with a friend you haven't seen for a while. Explore a different route if you're visiting family. Join a festive local event or invite somebody to come out with you.

You could even run on Christmas Day.

There is something rather special about heading out when the roads are quieter than usual and the normal rhythm of everyday life has temporarily stopped. It doesn't need to be long or fast — just a few peaceful miles before returning home to the celebrations.

Running at Christmas can become something you look forward to rather than something you have to squeeze in.

Running with friends can help make running part of the Christmas festivities.

Don't Run to Punish Yourself for Christmas Dinner

Christmas usually means eating and drinking differently from normal, and that's part of enjoying it.

Running uses energy and staying active can certainly help maintain your fitness through a period when you may be eating more than usual. But try not to turn your run into punishment for what you ate the day before.

You don't need to "earn" Christmas dinner by running beforehand, nor make up for it with an unnecessarily hard session afterwards.

Enjoy the food. Enjoy the celebrations. Enjoy your running.

There is room for all three.

Don't Try to Make Up for Missed Runs

If Christmas gets particularly busy and you miss a few sessions, resist the temptation to cram them all into the following week.

Training doesn't work like an unpaid bill. You don't have to settle the balance.

Simply return to your normal routine when you can.

And if you've had a longer break from running, be sensible with your first few sessions back. Don't immediately try to run your furthest distance or your fastest pace because you feel you need to compensate for lost time.

Start comfortably and allow your normal rhythm to return.

Training for a Spring Marathon? Keep the Foundations in Place

For some runners, Christmas arrives at an important point in the calendar.

If you're planning a spring marathon, your training programme may already have started — or those first structured weeks could be waiting for you immediately after Christmas.

That doesn't mean Christmas needs to become a training camp.

Maintaining some consistency through December can simply make the transition into marathon training easier. Regular easy runs can keep the legs moving and preserve the routine you've already built, even if mileage or intensity temporarily changes.

A handful of shorter runs over Christmas may therefore be more useful than doing nothing for two weeks and suddenly trying to launch into a demanding marathon programme in January.

Think about the weeks and months ahead rather than worrying about one imperfect week.

Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To

The end of the year is also a natural time to think about what comes next.

Perhaps you've already entered a race. Perhaps there's a distance you'd like to attempt for the first time. Maybe you want to improve your parkrun time, tackle a trail race or simply run more consistently.

Having something on the calendar can provide motivation when Christmas is over and normal routines return.

It doesn't have to be an ambitious New Year's resolution. A goal that genuinely excites you is far more valuable than one chosen because you feel you should have one.

Above All, Enjoy Christmas

Running matters to us because we enjoy it, because it makes us feel good and because it becomes part of our lives.

But Christmas is part of life too.

If you miss a run because you're spending the day with your family, don't feel guilty. If your usual long run becomes a relaxed half-hour jog, that's fine. If you decide that Christmas Day is the perfect morning for a few quiet miles, enjoy every step.

A few disrupted days won't undo months of training.

Keep running when you can. Be flexible when you can't.

Don't chase perfection over Christmas; protect consistency.

Then enjoy the festivities.

Your running will still be there when Christmas is over.