Going home for winter break is awesome. It gives us a chance to catch up with family and friends, and finally unload after a brutal round of finals.

We all know the importance of working out and eating right, but rather than preach to you all the same old stuff you all already know, I wanted to give some fresh fitness tips I think will help everyone keep healthy over the winter break.

They’re not chores; they are manly feats of strength:
Going home for the holidays you’ll inevitably be asked to help around the house. Instead of griping at the task, try and transform chores into “manly feats of strength.” Below are a couple “feats” you can do at home and what exercises at the gym they relate to.

Splitting wood and stacking it:
Swinging an axe is a total body workout that incorporates the use of the core to allow the arms and legs to build off of each other. Stacking/hauling wood is a great upper body and core workout; you can lift as many logs at one time as you’d like.

Related exercise: double arm dumbbell chop

Shoveling snow:
 It’s arduous work that builds up over time. Try going as fast as you can to really break a sweat. Small driveway? Then go have fun and build snowmen or have a snowball fight…

Related exercies: Rows, shoulder press, lunges

Carrying groceries:
 This one is pretty self-explanatory. Load up each arm with as many bags as you can (don’t act like you don’t do this already) without risk of dropping them. Carry them on inside. Short trip? Walk them back and forth before dropping them off, or even to some lateral raises with them. Mom already bought groceries? Then try these exercises out:

Related exercises: Farmer’s walk and lateral raise

Hauling the Christmas tree:
 How much do Christmas trees weigh? I don’t know, but drag them through a Christmas tree farm or the forest for ¼ mile and you’ll have a new appreciation for them once the feeling in your legs returns and your lungs stop burning

Related exercises: sled drags, step-ups, sprinting

Avoid mingling by the food at holiday parties:
You’ll graze and eat all night long without ever realizing it. Put some food on a plate and leave the food area.

Watch liquid calorie intake:
Besides moderating alcohol, watch all of the other beverages you are drinking, as the calories consumed will easily stack up in a social environment. This includes eggnog, hot chocolate and pop (yeah I said it, I’m from Michigan.)

Catch up on sleep:
A fun fact: researchers found that people who slept two hours less than they should ate between 500-600 calories more the next day than they normally would. It also allows your body to recover and heal itself and is where a majority of muscle building takes place following workouts.

Winter workout:
For those without access to lumber or a gym, here’s a total body workout that doesn’t require weights.

Perform as many rounds as you can, depending on your fitness level.
15-30 seconds rest between each exercise, 1 minute rest between sets

Beginner: 3-4 rounds
Intermediate: 5-6 rounds
Expert: 7+ rounds

Push-ups (close grip) x15
Lunges x12
Burpess x10
Triceps dips x20 (Can be done against a chair edge)
Split jump lunges x10
Bear crawl x25 yards
Push-ups (wide grip) x15
Side lunges x10
Bicycle kicks x20
Leg drop x12
Plank 45 seconds

Tom Gooding serves as an athletic trainer/personal trainer. He has worked with athletes of all skill levels including NFL prospects/veterans, dancers and wrestlers. He has also had the pleasure (or physical challenge) of working with brother Frank Butterfield, Southern California ’83. Gooding is currently earning his masters in athletic training at the University of Virginia.