With annual leave around the corner, I’m going to provide you with some easy examples of how to stay active on your holidays. That way, you don’t have to stress about losing all the hard work you’ve put in these past weeks. Now depending on where you are going, it is actually relatively easy to stay active while on holiday, it simply depends if you want to or not.
For example, it is pretty hard to not be active if you’ve booked a trek, camping or beach holiday. Hiking and swimming are excellent forms of cardio and a fantastic way to Be Human.
Now if you are not the outdoorsy type, and froth on the hustle and bustle of the big cities, it is actually super easy to stay active. Rather than catching the subway or bus to your next attraction, walk. Every travel expert ever, will always encourage you to walk the streets because that’s how you experience the real *insert city name*. The good thing about being in a city is that you will never be too far away from the gym. You might even be staying in a hotel that has a gym. Personally, I like to book hotels with gyms so I can start my day with a workout, to put me in a good mood and give me energy for a day of sight seeing.
"it is actually relatively easy to stay active while on holiday, it simply depends if you want to or not."
If you can't fathom a gym visit on your holiday, it’s time to invest in a suspension trainer and/or some resistance bands. They take up next to no room and weigh even less. The exercises possible with just one of these tools is endless. And if you run out of time to source this equipment or it’s too expensive, just use the most accessible and affordable resistance ever made, your body. Push-ups, pull-ups, planks, body weight squats and lunges, and variations there of, make for a fantastic strength workout.
With all of this in mind, it is not the end of the world if you don't do any strength training while away on holiday. Your body is probably craving a de-load week. You might find that you come back even stronger after a week off. And if you are going away for longer, you might temporarily lose a bit of strength, but it’s nothing you won’t get back after a couple of weeks of your regular routine. Plus the benefit of just being active outdoors, totally outweighs the time missed in the gym, both physically and mentally.
There will definitely be some of you thinking that this is ridiculous! “I go on holiday to relax, not to workout!” And if that’s your opinion, then that’s cool. You don’t have to train while on holiday and as I mentioned above, it probably won’t be detrimental to your health. Just remember, that your body is a reflection of your lifestyle and you make daily choices that result in who you are today. So it’s up to you with what you do on your holiday. But if you get a kick out of feeling energized and making the most of life, try an active holiday.