It’s 12 weeks to Christmas, (Hey!, I saw you roll your eyes!) when the biggest eating festival of the year takes place. It’s funny how we over do things on the day, after all it’s just a Roast dinner and many households have them once a week anyway.  Still we eat, drink and are merry.

Right now, is an excellent time to start your pre-Christmas exercise routine as with 12 weeks, you have plenty of time to turn changes into a lasting habits.  Imagine how great you’ll feel when you see your improved health and fitness in 2026.

As it’s also one of the most stressful times of the year, what better way to support your coping strategies than introducing daily exercise, healthy nutrition and hydration habits?

It is better to start slow and steady than to try to change everything on the first day.  If you have any health considerations, consult your GP before starting to ensure changes are safe and suitable for your individual needs.

If you are looking for an app to help you log your progress and support healthy habits, consider the NHS Weight Loss Plan. Even if weight loss isn’t your main goal, it offers sensible guidance and useful information to help you build a lasting routine.

Try these 4 steps.

1. Hydrate regularly. Make every other drink you have a cold drink of water.  This will sate thirst, reduce snacking (as often we are thirsty, not hungry) and rehydrate you, providing your body with more energy.
2. Improve Sleep. As the nights draw in, try going to bed a little earlier and winding down with a book.  This will reward you by helping you fall asleep naturally and enable you to awake with more energy in the morning.
3. Increase Activity. Consider taking a walk once a day, even if its just to post a letter, to the local shop. Alternatively, set a timer for 15 mins , start walking until the timer goes off, then turn around and walk back home.  Personally, I like to listen to audio books, comedians, music or simply take in the sounds of the environment, depending on where I’m walking. Walking benefits include; clears your mind, lifting your mood, boosting your energy and aiding restful sleep. 
4. Stop snacking. The other subtle change you could make is to ensure that you avoid snacking after 6pm.  Often our meals are healthy but this is sabotaged by evening ‘boredom’ snacking.  If you do have to snack try keeping it to vegetables or a piece of fruit.  If you don’t fancy that, you may be just eating for boredom and aren’t really that hungry.  If you notice you’re reaching for snacks out of tiredness rather than hunger, consider winding down as in point 2, and having an early night to support your sleep habit.

So start your 12 week healthy habit to routine now and celebrate Christmas feeling energized, confident, ready for a healthy 2026