While the holidays are a wonderful time for gratitude, kindness, charity, and cheer, the winter months also challenge overall wellness. In developed countries, people tend to gain weight around the holidays, and many never lose it, even by the following summer (Helander et al., 2016). Symptoms of depression increase sharply during the winter months, especially among those who are already afflicted with a mental health diagnosis (Mutz & Lewis, 2021).
Given the many wellness benefits, jiu-jitsu training is one of the best ways to combat the unfortunate downsides of the holidays, and most find that the winter months are the best time to train.
More Time
Law enforcement is a 24/7, “always-on” profession, but like most developed countries, the holidays typically result in more time off. During the holidays, many combine their accrued vacation and compensatory time for extended breaks. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees take two to three times as many paid and unpaid days off in mid- to late December and early January as they do during the rest of the year (2024).
Use this time wisely to spend with family and friends, and also add a jiu-jitsu class or two to the weekly schedule.
Membership Specials
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and “New Year, New Me” specials abound in the fitness and martial arts market. Practitioners can take advantage of the savings with early membership renewal and recruiting family and friends to begin their jiu-jitsu journey while prices are at their lowest.
Weather-Resistant
During the winter months, there is significantly less daylight, which hampers many outdoor activities. Since jiu-jitsu is an indoor activity in a climate-controlled environment, it is the perfect winter activity. In some areas, adverse weather conditions make travel hazardous. Thankfully, jiu-jitsu has become so popular that there is undoubtedly a gym nearby.
Drop-In Opportunities
Holiday travel is undeniably detrimental to most fitness, health, and training goals, but for jiu-jitsu practitioners, it need not be. Since there are so many places to train jiu-jitsu, there are ample opportunities to train despite holiday travel. There are very few gyms that do not welcome drop-in students at a very reasonable fee. For those who do not travel during the holidays, the holidays are a great time to meet and train with drop-ins from other schools who may employ unfamiliar techniques and strategies, presenting an excellent opportunity to learn and improve.
Shame
Turn guilt into motivation. Social holiday gatherings often result in consuming too many cookies and too much alcohol. Instead of feeling down about the dietary and beverage choices from prior evenings, find a jiu-jitsu class and train. Better yet, commit to training the morning after a social gathering, which will (hopefully) result in better decisions.
So do not fall victim to the unfortunate side effects of winter. The holidays offer a terrific opportunity to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). American Time Use Survey (ATUS) [Data set and tables]. U.S. Department of Labor.
Helander, E. E., Wansink, B., & Chieh, A. (2016). Weight gain over the holidays in three countries. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(12), 1194–1195.
Mutz, M., & Lewis, G. J. (2021). Seasonal variation in depressive symptoms: Evidence from a large population-based study in the United Kingdom. Scientific Reports, 11, Article 20213.
About The Author
Brian Bowers is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Professor Chris Popdan with 15 years of experience and the Lead instructor of the FLEOA 111 Project. Read More….
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