Finding Your Stride: How to Keep Running When the Holidays Get Hectic

Running Through the Hectic Holidays

Running on empty this holiday season? Then let’s get motivated to move! If you’re struggling to find your rhythm in the midst of gift shopping, events for the kids, and holiday parties, we’ve got a few strategies to help you keep running and walking. Instead of letting the chaos of the holiday season prevent you from getting exercise, we’re encouraging everyone to rebuild momentum and take back your workout. While the radio plays the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” we’ve got the 7 Steps of Christmas just for you. Check out our tips and tricks below.

The 7 Steps of Christmas

1. Start Smart: Get Up Early and Wear Lights – The best way to step into your day is with a run! First, be sure to set your alarm the night before. In order to maintain consistency, don’t skip your workout. During the holidays, sunrise is a little later. If you’re running or walking when it’s dark, wear your lights and be seen. At St. Pete Running Company, check out our safety lights and deck yourself out!
2. Running Form Focus – With the weather cooling down during the holidays, you might be speeding up your pace. It’s okay to do that, but remember a slow and steady  pace is the best way to train on a regular basis, especially to keep yourself on track and to prevent burn out. Plus prevent injuries by focusing on your form whether you’re slowing down or speeding up.
3. Make It A Micro Run – If you have ten to twenty minutes to run before it’s time to get ready for an event, such as a family dinner, work holiday party, or shopping trip, then lace up and make it a “micro run.” The consistency of putting in even just a few minutes on a day when you don’t have time for more will go a long way for maintaining your workouts during the holidays. Treadmills can be helpful for this one.
4. More Water, More Hydration – In the hot summer months here in Florida, we talk a lot about hydration. During the winter and the holiday season, it can be easy to forget how important it is to keep hydrating. The general recommendation is to drink 8 glasses a day at a minimum. Depending on your training, you might need more. Don’t forget, you’re still sweating when you workout during the holidays. Stay hydrated!

   

   

   

   
   
5. Mental Power: Remember the Payoff – With the chaos of the holidays, our mental capacity can feel depleted. Focusing on training goals can go a long way to help clear the mental haze. Whether you simply want to stay in good shape or you’re training for an upcoming race, keeping the goal in mind will help your motivation, too. Every step will bring you closer to your goal, so keep your eyes on the prize.
6. Playlist Power – It’s your workout, and it’s your time. Make it fun! If you love Christmas music, make that your workout playlist. If you could use a break from the holiday tunes, bring along a playlist that will pump you up and motivate you. At St. Pete Running Company, we’ve got Shokz bone-conducting Bluetooth headsets that are comfortable and stay in place. Shokz don’t sit in your ear, allowing you to hear what’s around you AND your music.
7. Mix It Up with Cross-Training – Running and walking are an awesome way to cross-train during the holidays and to keep your momentum going. You don’t have to only run or walk, either. Do other types of cross-training that you love like the gym, yoga, swimming, strength training, foam rolling, or any other sport (think volleyball, basketball, golf, etc.). When you add cross-training to your holiday workouts, you’ll develop the other areas of your body that might be neglected during running. Plus it’s fun to mix it up. Mentally, it’s helpful, too. Your body will get a kind of “break” but you’re still working out!

The holidays are a great time of year to run, so get out there and get moving! Remember that we have Free Group Runs to help keep you motivated, too. Here are some of the Group Runs happening during the holidays.

Join Us For Upcoming Group Runs at the Store

Location: 6986 22nd Ave N, St. Pete, FL 33710

• Sunny Runners Christmas Party Run – Mon, Dec 22nd @ 6:30 PM – Show up in your most festive flair: ugly sweaters, Santa suits, elf ears, twinkly lights, or anything that sparkles with holiday cheer. The bolder the better! After the run spread the joy with our cookie exchange – bring your favorite cookies to share with fellow participants and indulge in a delightful array of sweet treats. Also, we will have some beverage to toast the community and holiday season. And because we know last-minute holiday shopping happens, the store will be open late until 8:30 PM for any final gifts, stocking stuffers, or surprises you still need to grab.
• ‘Twas the Run Before Christmas – Weds, Dec 24th @ 9:00 AM – Start your holiday with us and join us for a free morning group run or walk on Christmas Eve. Wear your best Holiday running gear. Once you finish your run come back to the store for some Christmas treats. Also, you can grab any last minute gifts while you are at the store.
• Resolution Run – Thursday, Jan 1, 2026 at 9:30 AM – Choose from 3-mile or 2-mile run or walk and enjoy a special in-store discount for our Resolution Runners.

Do you still have questions about finding your stride and how to keep running when the holidays get hectic? We can help! Call us at 727-800-5043 or come into the store where our shoe experts are ready to provide the high-quality customer service you expect from a Top 50 Running Store in America.