Milk-gallon dead lifts, shared inchworms, synchronized walking and a little misdirection could be the keys to staying in shape and in harmony with loved ones during the holiday weeks ahead, experts say.

While people who regularly exercise often worry about having too little time, willpower or familial good will available for workouts when they visit or host family and friends for the holidays, the researchers and athletes I spoke with felt that the greater challenge — and opportunity — lies in finding ways to rope in the gathered hordes, who might otherwise stay inactive.

Many cities now feature organized bike rides tied to Thanksgiving, as an alternative to the ubiquitous Turkey Trot running races. Some of these rides are fund-raisers or competitive events, but others involve tooling around the city seeing sights, building appetites or even purchasing turkeys for delivery to a food bank. Bike shops should have information about local holiday rides and bike rentals, if needed.

You could also use the holidays to reassess and perhaps broaden your notions of exercise, said Brad Stulberg, a performance coach and co-author of the books “Peak Performance” and “The Passion Paradox.”