Granted, exercising while travelling sounds like a bit of a bore. I get it, I totally do, a holiday doesn’t really seem like a holiday if you’re still slugging it out on the treadmill, even if said treadmill is located on a cliff above a white-sandy beach.
But believe it or not, arriving back from a holiday looking like you won first place in an eating contest is more common than you think. Too much Parisian brie and suddenly the kilos pile onto your being… unless you keep up somesort movement. And no, I’m not talking about the plate-to-mouth reps your arms do.
So I’ll let you in on a little secret, the key to holiday fitness is using your surroundings to stay motivated, no stuffy gyms and definitely no treadmills! Want to know more? Here are eight ways to keep fit while you travel that won’t actually bore your (sports) socks off…
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1. Invest in a foldable yoga mat specifically designed for travelling. I have one that is 0.1 inches thin and perfect for unraveling on a quiet beach or a secluded patch of grassland.
2. Obviously you can skip the dumb bells, but there’s plenty of light equipment you can pack such as a skipping rope and resistance bands that will keep those croissants from going straight to your hips.
3. Reuse those one litre water bottles you bought sightseeing as makeshift weights for your workout.
4. Book a hotel room on a higher floor and always take the stairs.
5. Try to exercise first thing in the morning. Those excuses you make throughout the day at home are magnified by 1000 percent while on holiday! Too many distractions!
6. If you’re going on a beach vacation, pack your one-piece and some goggles and hit the resort pool for some laps first thing in the morning before all the family’s with their screaming children arrive.
7. One of my favourite things to do when travelling to a foreign city is going for a run (okay let’s be honest… brisk walk) in the streets moments after I settle into my hotel room. Not only does this stretch out my travel-weary muscles and release endorphins that fight jet lag. It allows me to get my bearings in an unfamiliar city that I may need to navigate at a later time.
8. Why not book an experiential holiday and kill two birds with one, um, trip? Try skiing in Europe, climb a mountain, go on a surf or yoga retreat in Bali, or learn to Scuba Dive in the Maldives. You’ll have loads of fun and your body will thank you for it!
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Stefanie Acworth runs the blog A Modern Wayfarer.