Swimsuit

Katie Austin’s Fitness Tips for the Holidays and Beyond

According to the health coach, enjoying yourself should be your top priority. But movement can be important, too.

Martha Zaytoun

Katie Austin sports her light brown hair in a soft wave and smiles for her camera.

Katie Austin.

Day 2 of SI Swimsuit’s 12 Days of Swimsuit. Embark on a daily journey with us over this time, as we present exclusive features with your beloved SI Swimsuit models. Delve into a festive blend of holiday style, beauty insights, and invigorating workouts adaptable to any locale. Our SI Swimsuit models graciously share their top-notch advice tailored for the season. Stay tuned and celebrate the holidays in style with SI Swimsuit.

As a fitness instructor, Katie Austin certainly understands the importance of movement. But, during the holidays, she also gets the importance of enjoying yourself. 

“I want every single person to feel their best self, but at the same time, don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” she expresses in an exclusive conversation with SI Swimsuit. “The holidays are the holidays. It’s a time to enjoy yourself and a time to be celebrated with your loved ones.”

If you’re intending to maintain, build or start a fitness routine this season, Austin has helpful advice to impart. And, if you’re interested in taking a class from the instructor herself, check out her live workout today at 11:30 a.m. EST on the SI Swimsuit Instagram.

For those wanting to maintain movement

It’s a given: routines change during the holidays. If you’re one to prioritize your fitness on a regular basis, but your typical regimen just isn’t fitting into your seasonal schedule, the tendency can be to throw it out completely. But that's far from necessary.

Even if you don’t have access to your typical gym and equipment and don’t have the same amount of time to dedicate to exercise, “make time for 15 minutes of movement,” Austin urges. With the stress that the holidays tends to bring, “15 minutes can do wonders—not only for your physical health, but your mental health, as well. Moving your body is really, really important.”

Quick, versatile and effective workouts are exactly what the instructor’s fitness platform is built upon. Her classes, which can be found on-demand on her website, are designed to be done with minimal equipment and in minimal time.

Most importantly, though, during the holidays, find workouts that don’t “sound too intimidating,” Austin says. “If I was to tell myself I have to do a 45-minute HIIT or strength workout, I wouldn’t be doing it as much. But when it’s lighter on the body, [such as] a nice flow, I will be more inclined to do it.”

So, if you’re looking to continue moving, but know you can’t give it your typical time and attention, try for just 15 minutes a day—preferably in the morning before the day gets away from you, according to Austin—and try some of the athlete’s classes while you’re at it. Both your body and your mind will thank you.

For those who are just starting their fitness journey

New Year’s resolution season is almost upon us, meaning many people will soon commit themselves to newfound fitness goals. If you’re among the group trying to get into fitness for the first time, Austin has a reminder for you: “It’s never too late to start,” she says.

But she has some advice, too. We all have tendencies to procrastinate difficult tasks. It’s human nature. “During the holiday time, we can kind of get wrapped up and [say], ‘well, I’ll start later. I’ll start in the New Year’,” she explains. But, in reality, just going ahead and jumping in now—before resolution season has even come around—is best. “Getting a head start on your New Year’s resolutions can go so far, especially for mental health... and [for] making sure it’s a part of your routine” come next year, she says.

After all, as Austin reminds us, you’re much more likely to make something a habit if you fit it into your routine when you’re already busy (as opposed to when you’re not).

When it comes to the movement itself, “changing and shifting [your] mindset” should be your top priority. Stop thinking of movement as something you have to do, she says. Start thinking of it as a way “to be happier,” “to be more confident,” and “to be more productive.”

Starting small is the key. Begin with 10 minutes per day, then progress from there, Austin recommends. “Knowing that there’s room for progression is the most important thing, because you’re never going to start perfect,” she adds.

One way to start small is to practice her “seven-minutes before 7 a.m.” regimen. “If you just stand next to your fireplace and you get your body warm, you start breathing and stretching, you’ll feel so much better throughout your day,” she assures us.

For those wanting to get back into movement 

Austin knows it’s hard to get back into a routine. We all do. But we also know that you feel so much better once you do. Here, starting small is also imperative.

It’s important to keep in mind that if a routine is too big and, therefore “not realistic to your lifestyle, it’s really hard to stick to,” she says. So, if you find yourself having a hard time implementing a certain regimen, maybe try scaling it back—making it more palatable—and trying again. You might benefit from Austin’s progressive method (10-minutes per day one week, 15-minutes per day the next, etc.), as well.

Ultimately, “the hardest part is just to start,” she assures us. “Once you get past that point, it becomes easier to go on from there.” And it can never hurt to have a few goals you’re working toward either, she says.

At the end of the day, the holidays are meant to be fun. “Enjoying yourself is the most important part,” Austin says.

The former college athlete’s fitness platform boasts over 300 on-demand workouts—all different kinds created for all different fitness levels—as well as easy recipes fit to be meal-prepped and enjoyed throughout the week. Her anytime, anywhere mentality makes for routines well-suited for the holiday season—and she likewise has some recipes that would be real crowd pleasers. Be sure to check them out.

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!

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Martha Zaytoun
MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.