Although this holiday season has been less hectic in terms of the numbers of guests you may have had, you still were cooking, cleaning, preparing, wrapping, and probably not getting as much rest and sleep as you would normally.

As winter fully descends upon us, follow these 10 tips allowing yourself a little recovery time so that you will enjoy the months ahead. As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.

1. Get the house in order. All of the decorations that we display during the holiday season begin to become disorganized and need to find their home back in storage. Do this as soon as possible so that you avoid the stress of clutter.

2. If you have been a little lax about performing your exercise program regularly, it is time to become consistent once again. And although you may be a bit reluctant as you may have lost some of your previous fitness level, remember that your mind and body will respond positively to your program by taking this proactive approach.

3. It may be time to try something new within the vast array of fitness programs. If you have not tried a Pilates Reformer program, yoga, Tai Chi, or boxing, consider doing so to put the spark back in your fitness program.

4. Set up a meeting with your personal trainer (who has been missing you this holiday season) and review your program, current physical state, and goals/objectives for the months ahead.

5. If you were too busy this holiday season for your regular massage therapy sessions, schedule a massage today and begin 2021 relaxed.

6. Supplement your visits to the massage therapist by performing consistent stretching and myofascial release with foam rollers or other myofascial release tools.

7. If you have not already, check out all of your winter sport’s training equipment, such as skis, snowshoes, ice skates, snowboards, and snowmobiles to make certain all is back in order if you utilized this equipment and, if you have yet to venture out, take a moment to ensure your equipment is functional.

8. Set aside some quiet time if possible, each day. Even if it is only ten minutes, this time of solitude and reflection sets the template for the day ahead. Meditation during this time is an excellent method of destressing, releasing anxiety and creating a centered and balanced mind/body connection. Choose a calming mantra that has meaning to you and repeat it during this quiet time. And feel free to use the same mantra in the middle of a busy day or during a particularly challenging workout, to return you to the center of your universe.

9. Revisit your nutritional program ensuring you are on track and to include fresh foods that are specifically available this time of year.

10. There are many recovery tools that are trending currently in the fitness industry. Always remember caveat emptor and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, however, cryotherapy chambers, cold laser, infrared light and photobiomodulation therapy, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) are all possibilities. Just do your due diligence first or ask your fitness professional to provide you with further information so you make an informed, safe, and effective choice.

Jackie Wright is the owner/manager of Mountain Life Fitness in Granby. She may be reached at her website at http://www.mtnlifefitness.com, her email at jackie@mtnlifefitness.com.