It can be hard to get a workout in between all the travel, large meals, and time spent with friends and family during the holidays. Your body may feel extra tight and stiff or out of whack. It is important to give yourself some grace and realize that this is a break for both body and mind. You don’t have to keep up the high-intensity training of your sport, but it is always good to move your body.

If you’re used to the fancy training facilities of your college or high school, returning home for the holidays can be a tough transition. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a full-blown gym in your garage, it can be tricky to figure out how to keep up your workout regimen over winter break.

For those athletes who are trying to find ways to work out this holiday season, here are some ways to get in a sweat over the winter break holiday.

Deck of Cards Workout

This workout is a great option if you don’t have anything more than open space and a deck of cards. There are many different ways to customize this workout to suit your needs, ability, and environment.

Shuffle your deck of cards. Set each suit as a workout. The card value is the number of reps you’ll do. You can count all face cards as 10, or to make it extra challenging J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=14. Or Aces can be a lap around the block. Now flip over the top card and begin. Time yourself to see how long it takes to get through the deck!

Here is some inspiration for different exercise combinations. But really the options are as endless as your imagination.

Full Body:

• Squats
• Pushup-ups
• Jumping jacks
• Situps

Lower Body:

• Squat jumps
• Lunges
• Bridges
• Weighted deadlifts

Cardio:

• Jumping jacks
• Burpees
• Mountain climbers
• Shuttles

Create your own Tabata Workout

A Tabata workout is when you alternate between 20-second intervals of all-out (as in your 100-percent max) effort and 10-second intervals of rest for eight total rounds. This is a challenging workout but can be tailored to any skill level. You can do bodyweight exercises entirely, or if you have access to dumbbells or weights, you can incorporate lifts as part of the workout.

This is a type of High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. This means that you get the most from the workout when you push yourself as hard as you can during the work sections of the workout, which is why this type of workout maybe not be as good for beginners. You don’t want to compromise on form in the rush to push yourself. Here are some examples of different Tabata workouts.

Bodyweight:

• Jumping jacks
• Pushup
• High knees
• Squat to overhead press

With Weights:

• Sumo squat with bicep curl
• Squat to overhead press
• Renegade row
• Dumbbell/kettlebell swing

Plyometric:

• Lunge jumps
• Squat jumps
• Burpee
• Mountain climbers

Remember 20 secs on one exercise, 10 secs of rest, then 20sec of the next exercise. Once you’ve finished one circuit, start again from the beginning. Many free Tabata timer apps can help you keep track of the workout.

Running Workout

If you’re from a place where the weather isn’t terrible over winter break, consider going out for a run. And if it is freezing and snowy outside, see if you can find a treadmill to get in a run.

A recovery run is a great option for a winter break workout. You can take it easy, with two minutes at a medium pace and two minutes at an easy pace. You can run blocks, one hard and one at an easier pace if you’re running outside. Or just take a nice jog around your neighborhood to get a sweat in.

Use the Nike Training App

The Nike Training App is a great resource for athletes. It is a free option for guided at-home or gym workouts. There are multiple filters to sort the workouts, including by muscle group, workout focus and the equipment you have available to work with.

These guided workouts have videos demonstrating proper form and an encouraging voice-over that provides tips while completing the exercise. There are also recommendations for scaling the workout up or down in ability level.

Gym Shark App

While not as clean-cut as the Nike Training App, the Gym Shark App is also a good resource for student-athletes. You can follow various workouts created by other users and trained professionals. Or you can create your workouts and track your progress as you progress through your training.