Samantha Clayton
Fitness Trainer
DBH, ISSA, M.S., NBC-HWC, OLY
The holiday season is full of joy, celebrations, and connection, but it’s also the time of year when fitness routines tend to fall apart. Schedules get busy, travel ramps up, and energy dips. It’s completely normal, but it can also derail the progress you’ve worked so hard to build throughout the year.
That’s exactly why we created the SunnyFit 12 Days of Fitmas Workout Series, an energizing, hand-picked workout playlist designed to keep you motivated, consistent, and feeling amazing all December long. This festive fitness collection includes 25 total workouts from some of our top SunnyFit trainers, giving you variety, structure, and the perfect mood boost during a season when sticking with your routine can be tough.
Whether you’ve been crushing your 2025 goals or fell off track somewhere between summer vacations and holiday dinners, you can still finish the year strong. Fitmas is your fresh start, a way to stay connected to movement, and a gift that you give back to yourself.
Below, you’ll find an overview of each training category included in the Fitmas playlist, what the mode of exercise is, why it's beneficial, the muscles worked, and why it's important to stay active for your long-term health.
Treadmill Workouts
Walking and running are two of the most accessible, mood-boosting forms of exercise. And treadmill training makes them even more convenient during the busy holiday season.
Why it’s great for the body:
Treadmill workouts enhance cardiovascular health, increase lower-body strength, and help maintain healthy body composition. With incline options, speed adjustments, and guided programming, you can tailor each session to fit your time and energy levels.
Muscles worked:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Calves
- Core Stabilizers
Why it matters for long-term health:
Regular walking or running supports heart health, improves circulation, strengthens bones, and boosts mental well-being. Even 10–20 minutes can elevate your mood, reduce stress, and help you stay on track during the holiday rush.
Row-N-Ride Workouts
Our Row-N-Ride workouts combine the dynamic motion of rowing with the lower body sculpting power of squats. This hybrid training style uses a hinge-based movement pattern that strengthens major muscle groups while also giving your heart rate a healthy lift.
Why it’s great for the body:
Row-N-Ride training elevates the heart rate quickly, allowing you to get a highly effective workout in a short amount of time. Because you’re pushing and pulling through a full range of motion, this style improves mobility, cardio capacity, and muscular endurance at once.
Muscles worked:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Core
- Upper back and shoulders
Why it matters for long-term health:
Strengthening the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back) supports posture, reduces low-back discomfort, and helps prevent movement imbalances. Combined with its cardio benefits, Row-N-Ride is a full-body solution for functional fitness.
Rowing Workouts
Rowing is one of the most efficient, low-impact, total-body workouts you can do. It pairs rhythmic cardio with smooth, controlled strength work, making it perfect for anyone who wants to challenge their endurance without stressing their joints.
Why it’s great for the body:
Rowing increases aerobic capacity, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and trains both upper and lower body muscle groups at the same time. It’s also meditative, many exercisers find the steady stroke pattern helps them relax and stay focused.
Muscles worked:
- Legs: quads, hamstrings, glutes
- Back: lats, traps, rhomboids
- Arms: biceps, forearms
- Core: Stabilizers engaged throughout the stroke
Why it matters for long-term health:
Because rowing is low impact and scalable to any fitness level, it’s a sustainable workout option year-round. It supports joint health, boosts metabolism, and helps improve daily functional strength, from lifting groceries to climbing stairs.
Stretching & Mobility Workouts
During the holidays, when stress is high and routines shift, stretching becomes even more important. Our Fitmas playlist includes restorative sessions designed to help your body move better and recover quicker.
Why it’s great for the body:
Stretching improves flexibility, reduces muscle tightness, and enhances range of motion. It’s also incredibly helpful for relaxation, reducing physical and mental tension.
Muscles worked:
Depending on the stretch routine, you may target:
- Hip flexors
- Hamstrings
- Low back
- Chest and shoulders
- Upper back
- Full-body mobility chains
Why it matters for long-term health:
Better mobility supports safer workouts, reduces injury risk, and promotes healthy aging. Regular stretching helps counteract hours of sitting, holiday travel stiffness, and cold-weather tightness.
Bodyweight Strength Workouts
No equipment? No problem. Our bodyweight strength workouts help you build muscle, improve balance, and increase functional strength anywhere, even in a hotel room or your living room between gatherings.
Why it’s great for the body:
Bodyweight strength training uses natural movement patterns like squats, lunges, pushes, and planks to enhance stability and muscular control. It’s versatile, effective, and perfect for staying consistent during unpredictable holiday schedules.
Muscles worked:
- Legs: quads, hamstrings, glutes
- Core: deep stabilizers, obliques, rectus abdominis
- Upper body: chest, triceps, shoulders, back (depending on the move)
Why it matters for long-term health:
Strength training protects bone density, improves posture, enhances metabolic health, and increases longevity. Even short sessions help maintain muscle mass during a season when workouts often take a back seat.
Bodyweight Cardio Workouts
Bodyweight cardio is one of the simplest and most effective ways to elevate your heart rate without any equipment. These workouts blend dynamic movements like fast feet, high knees, jumping jacks, and power squats to get you sweating quickly, perfect for holiday schedules when time, and space, and equipment are limited.
Why it’s great for the body:
Bodyweight cardio improves cardiovascular endurance, increases calorie burn, and boosts energy levels. Because movements are fast and functional, you get a powerful metabolic training effect without the impact of running or the setup of machines.
Muscles worked:
- Glutes
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Core
- Hip flexors
- Calves
- Depending on variations, shoulders and upper back
Why it matters for long-term health:
Cardio helps keep your heart strong, supports healthy blood pressure, improves stamina, and increases mood-boosting endorphins. It’s also one of the easiest ways to stay consistent when traveling or juggling a busy holiday schedule.
Mini Stepper Workouts
Mini stepper training offers a compact, low-impact way to strengthen your legs, activate your glutes, and improve cardiovascular fitness, all from a small footprint that fits perfectly in any room.
Why it’s great for the body:
The alternating step motion elevates your heart rate while building endurance in key lower-body muscles. It's gentle on the joints, easy to modify, and ideal for quick sessions throughout the day. Arm bands or fast-paced intervals can also increase the total-body challenge.
Muscles worked:
- Glutes
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Core stabilizers
Why it matters for long-term health:
Stepping supports healthy circulation, strengthens major leg muscles used in everyday movement, and provides a low-impact cardio option that’s easy to maintain year-round. It’s especially helpful during colder months when outdoor walks are limited.
Dumbbell Strength Workouts
Dumbbell strength training is one of the most versatile and effective ways to build muscle, improve balance, and enhance full-body strength. From presses and rows to lunges and deadlifts, dumbbells allow you to train through a full range of motion with control and precision.
Why it’s great for the body:
Using added load increases the challenge on your s the muscles more deeply , helping you build lean tissue, boost metabolism, and improve bone density. Dumbbells also allow unilateral training, which helps fix muscle imbalances and increase overall stability.
Muscles worked:
Depending on the workout, you may target:
- Chest, shoulders, and triceps
- Back and biceps
- Core
- Glutes, quads, and hamstrings
Why it matters for long-term health:
Strength training plays a key role in healthy aging. It maintains muscle mass, protects joints, improves posture, and supports metabolic health. Even a few dumbbell sessions per week can significantly improve long-term functional strength.
Kettlebell Strength Workouts
Kettlebell training blends strength, power, and conditioning in one exciting package. The unique shape and offset weight of the kettlebell challenges your muscles and your coordination in ways other weights can’t.
Why it’s great for the body:
Kettlebell exercises like swings, cleans, deadlifts, and presses build full-body strength while also training explosive power and grip strength. They require strong core engagement and enhance stability, making each movement functional and highly effective.
Muscles worked:
- Glutes and hamstrings (especially during swings and hip hinge movements)
- Core
- Back and shoulders
- Grip and forearms
- Quads (during exercises like in squats, lunges, and cleans)
Why it matters for long-term health:
Power-based training improves athleticism, supports joint health, and boosts metabolic rate. Because kettlebell movements mimic real-life lifting and carrying patterns, they make everyday activities safer and easier.
Resistance Band Strength Workouts
Resistance band workouts use elastic tension to strengthen muscles through controlled, joint-friendly movement. Bands are portable, versatile, and perfect for holiday travel or quick sessions between gatherings.
Why it’s great for the body:
Bands create continuous tension, which increases muscle activation and helps improve stabilization. They’re excellent for both targeted isolation work and full-body functional training. The variable resistance makes them ideal for all fitness levels.
Muscles worked:
Resistance bands can train:
- Back (rows, pull-aparts)
- Shoulders and chest
- Glutes (band walks, kickbacks)
- Quads and hamstrings
- Core with rotation exercises
Why it matters for long-term health:
Band training supports joint stability, enhances mobility, and helps maintain strength with minimal strain. It’s a great way to stay active anywhere, making it easier to stay on track throughout the holiday season and beyond.
Keep the Momentum Going Through Every Holiday Moment
The SunnyFit 12 Days of Fitmas Series was built to inspire consistency, fun, and energy throughout December. With 25 workouts led by your favorite Sunny trainers, you have everything you need to stay active, even when life gets busy, festive, and delicious. If you wish to be part of the challenge and win points and a special badge on the SunnyFit app, simply complete 10 minutes of workouts for 12 days during the challenge.
Remember that movement is a gift. It boosts your mood, strengthens your body, and supports your goals long after the holidays are over. So, grab your gear, press play, and let’s make this the healthiest, happiest holiday season yet.
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