The holidays can be a difficult time to stay on track with your fitness goals. From now until New Year's Day, your schedule will likely be filled with family obligations, traveling and festive outings with all sorts of tempting treats.

Even the most disciplined people can find it difficult to stick to their health and fitness routines during the holiday season. Many gyms including most Planet Fitness and LA Fitness gyms have shortened hours around Christmas and New Year's and are closed entirely on Christmas day.

But this year can be different. Gym closures, holiday plans and holidays treats don't have to set you back in your fitness goals.

Here are few tips to help you stay with your healthy habits:

1. Move your body;

Avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating. Remember: Too much sitting is hazardous to your health. Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activity (say, pacing around the house or performing simple squat exercises) reduces the risk of diabetes and other heart disease risk factors.

2. Make lists, exercise early and sleep:

exercise in the morning is one of the biggest tips I recommend. "To alleviate the potential negative impacts of the season, I recommend making sure workouts are in the morning so you don't get distracted later in the day by parties, events or other holiday hoopla. I also recommend getting plenty of rest and maintaining lists to stay organized and stress-free."

If you're able to work out in the morning, you'll set yourself up for having a productive day and feeling accomplished. Then you can enjoy holiday activities and time with family without worrying about when you'll have time to exercise.

3. Expect the unexpected:

"We are glass half-full people, so we hope for the best, but we prepare for the worst," "We always have an emergency bag of healthy food that requires no refrigeration and can be readily eaten as is – a health umbrella of sorts."

You can apply this approach in a couple of different ways:

• Keep small bags of nuts or seeds, like almonds, cashews or pumpkin seeds in your purse, car or backpack. If you end up stuck somewhere longer than you expect, you'll have a healthy snack option to tide you over until you can get home for your next healthy meal.
• Add some extra healthy snacks to your pantry that are quick and easy to eat. For example, whole-grain crackers, dried fruit, popcorn or roasted chickpeas can be a quick, no-preparation snack to turn to if you're short on time.

4. Be creative and get rid of "all or nothing" mindsets:

"The holidays are hectic, but do your best to avoid the 'all or nothing' mentality when it comes to healthful eating and physical activity. In reality, there is more than just one way to live healthfully and be active."

5. Indulge for a night, not a season:

"It's easy to overindulge when the season of parties and leftovers. Particularly if you're hosting a holiday gathering, you're likely to end up with additional sweets and treats that you wouldn't normally choose as part of your regular diet. "Avoid allowing 'treats' to become staples by not letting them linger in the house after the celebration has ended. When the party is over, it is time to dump the junk,"

6. Remember it's a single day:

It's important to remember that the entire holiday season isn't an excuse for overindulging or stopping your exercise routine. "Enjoy the holiday. If you worry about eating too much on this single day, the reality is that one day won't make or break your health plan. Unfortunately, most people start a pattern of daily 'treats' in some form or another or skip exercise due to visiting relatives. That routine then somehow continues from Thanksgiving through the end of the year."