As the holiday season approaches, the hustle and bustle can often transform what is meant to be a time for relaxation and connection into a whirlwind of chaos and stress. Neuroscientist insights suggest finding ways to balance intense training with lighter, joyful activities can significantly reduce stress levels during this demanding time. Implementing targeted workouts can help maintain mood, promote better sleep, and reduce stress, allowing you to savor the season rather than feel overwhelmed by it.
Lower your stress during the holidays with these targeted workouts designed to help you enjoy the season. (Photo: Piero Cruciatti/Getty)
Published December 10, 2025 06:00AM
Workouts to Lower Stress During the Holidays
The holiday season is often depicted as a chance to decelerate and reconnect with loved ones. However, it frequently becomes a time filled with obligations and tasks that can lead to increased stress levels. To support our nervous systems during these times of heightened stress, incorporating gentle and restorative movements into our routines is essential.
While it’s well-known that exercise can be an excellent tool for managing stress, traditional high-intensity workouts may actually exacerbate stress during periods when the sympathetic nervous system is already activated. The important hormone cortisol, which participates in our stress response, rises with intense exercise. Thus, finding balance is vital. Here are five low-impact, stress-reducing workouts that integrate easily into your holiday schedule.
Hike or Walk in Nature
Even if you typically subscribe to the philosophy of “why walk when you can run?”, walking offers numerous benefits. Not only is it a low-impact activity perfect for the off-season, but it also yields significant physiological benefits. Green exercise—activities performed in nature—can restore both the mind and body, especially during high-stress times.
Spending time in natural settings has been shown to enhance mood, increase feelings of compassion and gratitude, and even improve heart rate variability, a marker of stress resilience. So, grab your layers and enjoy a refreshing walk or hike in your local park or reserve this holiday season.
Do Yoga, Pilates, or Barre
Engaging in yoga, Pilates, or barre workouts provides low-impact strength training with an emphasis on breath and movement. Concentrating on your breathing while moving helps you stay present and diminishes feelings of overwhelm. These workouts also promote essential qualities such as mobility and core stability, all while being gentle on your joints and nervous system.
Focusing on alignment and controlled movements builds functional strength, one that will support you and prevent injuries when you ramp up your training after the holidays.
Take a Dance Class
Dance offers a unique, holistic approach to stress regulation that combines rhythm, movement, emotion, and social connection—all vital components for reducing stress levels. Recent studies have shown that embracing dance can activate various regulatory systems simultaneously, proving to be a profoundly effective way to support overall mental health.
So, whether you join a structured dance class or simply dance around your living room, allow yourself to enjoy this liberating form of self-expression. Not only is it fun, but it is also an unparalleled stress reliever.
Shadowbox
Shadowboxing can be a fantastic low-impact cardiovascular workout that lets you release pent-up stress without excessive physical strain. Imagine moving around, throwing punches at an invisible opponent or even your own shadow; this exercise requires little equipment and can be done almost anywhere.
While many people use shadowboxing as a warm-up for more intense boxing routines, it stands alone as an excellent way to clear your mind and invigorate your body during the busy holiday season.
Continue Your Favorite Activities at a Chill Pace
Just because you want to adopt a lighter workout regime doesn’t mean that you need to abandon the activities you love. Swimming, biking, running, and even strength training can be enjoyed at a reduced intensity. Lower the weights, shorten the distances, or simply abandon tracking metrics altogether.
These lighter workouts can transform into more communal activities when shared with friends—not only does it relieve stress through activity, but it also enhances social connections, another proven stress reducer. Make your workouts recovery-focused by elongating warm-ups and incorporating post-workout stretches.
The holiday season is an invitation to integrate gentler workouts into your training routine. By giving your body the space to rest and recover, you’re paving the way for stronger training sessions in the future. Be attentive to your stress levels, allowing yourself the grace to lean into lighter exercises. Embrace this scientific insight into how lighter movements can be one of the most productive strategies you can adopt during the holiday season.
