November is officially on its way out, which can only mean one thing: Christmas is just around the corner! As we all know, though, this probably won’t be Christmas quite as we know it, with coronavirus restrictions meaning that our usual meet-ups with friends and family will have to be limited, at least in the first few weeks of December.

Not to worry, though, because there are still plenty of festive fixtures to look forward to over the next few weeks. So, while you’re drinking your fill of mulled wine and marathoning all of your favourite Christmas films, you can also look forward to a fun-filled countdown to the big day.

I think that, no matter how old we get, we all still love an advent calendar. There are more to choose from now than ever before, too, including gin, beauty and even cheese calendars. This year at Strong Women, we decided to throw our metaphorical hat in the ring and launch our very own fitness advent calendar, which is free to access and fun to get involved with. 

We know that it can be that bit harder to muster up fitness motivation during the holiday period, with the colder weather making our weekly runs seem far less appealing and our social engagements making it harder for us to find time for our regular workouts.

So every day we will be posting a simple exercise challenge on our Instagram grid and in our stories for you to have a go at. With 50 jump squats on one day to 7,500+ steps on another, and some days dedicated to meditation and more relaxing stretches, our 25 days of exercise challenges will provide you with all the inspiration you need to keep you moving throughout December.

Not only will our advent calendar help you to keep on top of your physical health, but the exercises could do great things for your emotional wellbeing, too. Since it can be harder to stay positive during the darker days, it’s as important as ever to look after your mental health, and just 10 minutes of exercise every day will help you do exactly that. We asked the experts to explain why regular exercise is so good for your mind, even in small doses, and it’s definitely worth reading what they have to say. 

Whether you want to top off your usual workouts, try something different, or just need that extra little push to get you moving every day, our advent calendar is the perfect point of inspiration for those looking to keep themselves active during this most festive of months. You can rope your friends and family in, too, to give you all something to share during this socially distanced holiday season. 

Be sure to share the daily challenges and tag us to let us know you’re getting involved, using the hashtags #StrongerThanYesterday and #FestiveFitness. 

To get involved with Strong Women’s Fitness Advent Calendar, follow @StrongWomenUK on Instagram and check out our grid and stories every day in December.