This time of year, a lot of athletes feel off. Not broken. Not lazy. Just… off.
Training slips, life fills the space, and suddenly something that used to feel normal—moving your body—starts to feel heavy, overwhelming, and harder to restart than it should be. I’ve seen this pattern for years, not just with beginners, but with experienced athletes, professionals, parents, and executives, people who genuinely care about their health. And here’s the truth most people miss: we don’t fall off because we stop believing in fitness. We fall off because momentum disappears.
Every athlete goes through ups and downs. There are seasons where training clicks and everything feels easy, and there are seasons where life shows up loud. Work stress, family demands, travel, illness, fatigue. The goal isn’t to avoid those downs; that’s impossible. The real key to long-term success, especially when we talk about longevity and health, is learning how not to give up during them. Or said another way: try to avoid zero. Zero days. Zero movement. Zero intention. Because once zero becomes normal, restarting feels massive.
This isn’t about chasing PRs right now. It’s not about perfect workouts, perfect weeks, or perfect discipline. It’s about staying mission-ready for life. Movement is one of the most powerful tools we have for metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, mental clarity, joint health, and resilience as we age, and none of that requires heroic training blocks. It requires showing up consistently over time.
One of the most effective strategies I use with athletes during chaotic seasons is removing friction. If a goal requires a gym being open, specific equipment, perfect timing, or high motivation, it’s probably not the right goal for right now. That’s why I default to running or walking and simple bodyweight strength. No barriers. No excuses. No overthinking. Just movement.
This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s something I’ve experienced over and over: when we have some structure, even during busy periods, we actually become more organized and more efficient with our time. When structure disappears completely, time doesn’t magically open up. The opposite happens. We procrastinate. We delay. We waste mental energy deciding if we should train instead of simply knowing what we’re doing. I always think of that scene in Star Wars where the walls are closing in. No structure feels like that—pressure increases, space shrinks, and everything feels urgent and overwhelming. Structure, even a small one, creates breathing room.
That’s why I like a very simple framework during the holidays. Runs or walks three to four times per week—three is the foundation, four is ideal.
Go by distance or time.
Walk if needed. T
en kilometers or fifty minutes.
Five kilometers or twenty-five minutes.
Pair that with bodyweight strength by picking a daily total between twenty and one hundred reps of push-ups, pull-ups or rows, bodyweight squats, and sit-ups. Break them up however you want. This isn’t about crushing workouts. It’s about maintaining momentum.
Long-term success, athletic or otherwise, is rarely about intensity. It’s about staying in the game. Avoid zero.
Do something. Keep the habit alive.
Because when life settles down again, and it always does, you won’t be starting over.
You’ll already be moving. And that’s everything.