Let’s be honest, we spend the majority of the year counting down until the summer so we can go on holiday somewhere hot!
We want to look our best in our swimsuits, come back with a cracking tan and just sit back and relax!
To get our beach body confidence we deny ourselves our favourite sweet treats and train extra hard – but what happens to all our good work when we go on holiday?
To avoid starting from square one when you return home, here are some top tips to stay fit while on holiday.
Scenic sightseeing
There is often no better way to experience your holiday destination by visiting the local area on foot. Whether you’re on a city break or strolling down a sandy coastline, pack comfortable walking shoes to take in all the scents and surprises.
Remember: public transport can be awfully sweaty and crowded!
Take the stairs
It might sound simple but whether you’re walking to and from your hotel room or ascending the Eiffel Tower, there is always the choice: the lift or the stairs!
Imagine how many calories you’d burn climbing the Spanish Steps?!
Play with the kids
If you’re on a family holiday, join in with the kids’ favourite activities for some calorie burning fun and quality time together!
Go bodyboarding in the sea, organise a bike riding trip or have a family tournament on the tennis courts – the opportunities are endless!
Plan a travel fitness routine
Talk to a personal trainer before you jet off on your travels and design a workout you can do anywhere.
To start why not try our beginner routine: it is a bodyweight regime designed to work your muscles without needing a gym!
The circuit consists of 5 rounds of each increasing in time increments, so you perform each exercise for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 second rounds.
The workout is: reverse lunges vs plank vs jumping jacks vs press-up.
Move from one exercise to the next and aim to take no breaks – it’s a simple circuit that you can complete in just 15 minutes.
Explore the hotel gym
Many hotels are fully equipped with a gym to help maintaining training on holiday easy. You don’t even need anything fancy – if your gym has basic equipment or lighter weights to what you’re accustomed to, you can always perform circuits more than once!
The best part of booking a hotel with its own gym – you can work out in the morning before enjoying relaxing by the pool with a cocktail or two.
Here are some example workouts:
- Squat vs bench press, upright row, shoulder press, bent over row.
Start with 10 reps of each exercise, then perform another circuit of 8 reps, then drop by 2 reps until you hit 2 reps.
- Squat, Romanian deadlift, bench press, military press, uptight row, pull-ups.
This workout requires a proper gym with heavy resistance so you would need to plan ahead to find a good workout location.
Make a splash
You can use the swimming pool for more than just cooling off this summer – take advantage of quiet periods in the pool, usually in the morning and early evening, to swim lengths.
Set yourself a target each day to see how much you improve across your holiday – you could even book yourself a spa treatment as reward afterwards.
Enjoy the local cuisine
This is not a trick – you should enjoy trying new food and drink while on holiday, but everything should ideally enjoyed in moderation.
Remember: all-inclusive doesn’t mean you have to eat absolutely everything! Change your daily routine and diet by walking to restaurants outside your complex or on the other side of town.
You’ll enjoy the leisurely walk in the cooler evening air and walking after a meal helps to keep blood sugar levels down.
Share your holiday fitness with us and you could feature on our Facebook and Instagram!