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Does Santa Train Too? A Workout for Pulling a Flying Sleigh
Today is December 24, Christmas Eve. In homes with children especially, there will be cake and juice on the table, and families spending happy, smiling time together. And the main event, of course, is the present from Santa Claus.
To deliver presents to children all over the world, Santa pulls that heavy sleigh and leaps across rooftops. That takes a great deal of stamina! Surely Santa trains hard every day. So this time I’ve thought up “the workout Santa might do.” Everyone reading this blog, please use it as a reference.
Santa’s training menu
(1) Deadlift (practice for lifting the sack of presents)
The sack packed with presents for children around the world must be very heavy! To lift a heavy sack you need a strong back. The deadlift is the ideal exercise for this.
For the deadlift, first check your stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, back straight, chest open, eyes a little ahead. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and, thinking of extending your knees and hips together, lift by pushing the floor away with your legs. When the bar is all the way up, stand straight without arching your lower back, and lower slowly back to the start.
Done with correct form, the deadlift works your back and your whole body effectively.
(2) Squat (practice for balance on the rooftops)
Santa walks across many rooftops while carrying a heavy sack. So he needs strong legs and stability so he doesn’t slip. The squat is ideal for that.
For the squat, set your feet slightly wider than shoulder width with toes turned out a little. Keep your back straight, eyes ahead or slightly up, and bend your knees as if pushing your hips back. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, press through your whole foot, putting your weight especially on your heels. Then rise slowly back up. As you stand, take care that your knees don’t cave inward.
This exercise builds strong legs and improves your sense of balance.
(3) Push-up (practice for steering the sleigh, building chest and arms)
To steer a sleigh loaded with heavy presents you need strong arms and chest. The push-up is effective for that.
When you do push-ups, note that you should not shrug and should lower your shoulder blades. This reduces strain on your shoulders and neck. And if your form breaks down, don’t push on; take a rest and resume with the correct position.
(4) Jump training: recreating the feeling of flying
To deliver presents to houses around the world, Santa has to clear tall buildings and chimneys. So he needs “the power to fly.” Jump squats are ideal for training that power.
Jump squats strengthen your lower body and build explosive power. First, set your feet shoulder-width apart, do a squat, then jump all at once. When you jump, think of going high. Bend your knees slightly on landing to absorb the impact. Repeating this builds your jumping power, and you may be able to leap as high as Santa.
In closing
For Santa to deliver presents to children around the world every year, he needs not just stamina but whole-body training. Today I introduced exercises Santa might be doing, and I hope you’ll work them into your routine too and build a healthy, strong body!
At Orange Fitness in Kai City, we support you so that, through training, you can move toward your goals with strength, like Santa.
Now, let’s train like Santa and get ready for next Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
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