12 Doable ways to keep you moving while on holiday.

If you’ve been crazy busy this year, you may be looking forward to much needed holiday. You know you need the R&R, but unsure how to maintain your fitness during your holiday, because, let’s face it, nobody wants to spend hours exercising.

With these little very simple tweaks you will be able to take care of your body while you enjoy precious time away with family and friends.

If you have been crazy busy this year and heading for much needed R&R on holiday, this is for you. With these little tweaks, you will be able to take care of your body while you enjoy time away with family and friends.

01 - Stretch it out

• After spending hours sitting in a plan or the car, spend some time stretching your tight sore muscles after a long day of travel.

• Stretch the usual suspects, like your glutes, lower and upper back, hips and hip flexor.

• Tip

  I have found when my clients come back from holiday, they really struggle with tightness across their mid-back. What I suggest they do regularly on holiday is fold a bath towel length ways, then roll the towel up and place it vertically just higher than their lower back and then lie down on the towel with bent knees and their head on a pillow.

• It may be a little uncomfortable for a while, but then it does ease up.

• I recommend doing this for at least 5 minutes.

02 - Exercise in the morning.

Exercising in the morning while on holiday can offer several benefits:

• Consistency:

  Morning workouts help establish a routine, making it more likely that you'll stick to your exercise routine while on holiday.

• Energy Boost:

  Morning exercise can provide a natural energy boost that sets a positive tone for the rest of the day, allowing you to make the most of your holiday activities.

• Enhanced Mood:

  Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, promoting a positive mood and reducing stress, which can be particularly beneficial when trying to relax and enjoy your holiday.

• Circadian Rhythm:

Morning exercise aligns with your body's natural circadian rhythm, potentially improving sleep quality, which is crucial for overall well-being.

• Beat the Heat:

  Depending on your holiday destination, mornings might be cooler than later in the day, making it more comfortable to exercise.

• Free Up Time:

  By exercising in the morning, you free up the rest of the day for leisure, exploration, or relaxation without the worry of fitting in your workout later.

Remember, the best time to exercise ultimately depends on personal preference and individual schedules. The key is to find a time that works for you and allows you to consistently incorporate physical activity into your routine.

03 - Go for a bicycle ride

• If you have bicycles, take them with you on holiday.

• Don't have one or can't travel with one?

• Many towns have bike hire, even e-bikes (motorised ones.)

• This is a great way to explore places while still maintaining your fitness levels.

• Don’t forget to pack and wear your helmet.

04 - Take a hike

While on holiday, to get away from the hassle and bustle of the town or city, look for local hiking trails or

access to forests, national parks, a nature walking path or a nearby parks.

Safety first:

A note on hiking:

• Make sure that you’ve told someone that you will be out hiking, where you intend hiking and what time you expect to return.

• If you are going out hiking for a day trip, pack a backpack with water with you for the duration of your walk, sunscreen, a hat and snacks, if needed and wear breathable clothing and a map.

• Wear proper hiking boots to support your ankles, provide a good non-slip grip, avoid slides or thongs which could cause you to fall.

• Ensure that you have water with you for the duration of your walk.

05 - Go for a swim

• Swimming is one of the greatest exercises you can do as it

  incorporates the whole body.

• If you’re not a fan of swimming in the sea, many beaches have tidal pools which are great and safe way to do some laps if you don't enjoy being in the waves.

• If you're not going near the beach or do not enjoy the beach, look out for a local pool or fitness centre.

Note: Never swim alone and always tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

06 - Take the stairs

• Take the stairs wherever you can, is another easy and low-impact way to keep your fitness up while on holiday.

Tip: If you have knee pain and avoid going up stairs, try and place the whole foot on the step, transfer your bodyweight slightly forward, now drive your bodyweight up the stairs pushing through the glute (butt) on the leg that’s on the step below.

• Your butt is strong, use it!

• Always ensure that the foot that you are stepping upwards is tracking from your second toe, through middle of the shin and knee and not dropping inwards.

07 - Try a local studio

• Check out the local fitness studio or gym.

• Many studios or gym offer a day or week pass.

• It's a great way to maintain your fitness and strength while away on holiday.

08 - Use your body weight

• While going to the gym may not be everybody's cup of tea, working out in your accommodation is easy enough and you don't need any equipment, just your body weight.

• Bodyweight exercises are convenient, allowing you to strengthen your body anywhere.

• Bodyweight exercises offer a simple yet effective way to work your entire body, helping you build muscle, enhance endurance, flexibility, coordination, balance, and stability.

• The other great benefit of doing bodyweight exercises are that you have control over the intensity and repetitions, making it adaptable to your preferences.

• Research suggests that high-intensity interval bodyweight training (HIBWT) can increase muscle mass, improve insulin resistance, and reduce inflammation, particularly in postmenopausal women at risk for type 2 diabetes.

• High-Intensity interval bodyweight training (HIBWT) involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by short rest periods.

• HIBWT often includes exercises where both feet are off the floor during intense intervals.

• If you are not one for high-intensity, you can do low-intensity bodyweight training (L.I.B.W.T.) and still enjoy the many benefits.

• L.I.B.W.T. generally involves lower intensity exercises where both feet remain on the floor.

• A 2018 study found that older adults engaging in low-intensity bodyweight exercises experienced notable enhancements in physical function and muscular strength.

• Combining strength training with heart-pumping cardio, like marching on the spot, high knees, skipping or burpees, is beneficial for long-term health gains and this type of exercise is suitable for everyone.

• Always warmup for at least 5-10 minutes before starting your workout to prevent injuries. To warmup, you can always outside for 5 - 10 minutes, or walk on the spot, pumping your arms to get your heart pumping blood and to increase your core-temperature and prepare your muscles, joints and ligaments for your workout.

Create your own routine or circuit by incorporating basic bodyweight moves like: -

• Marching on the spot

• Jumping Jacks

• Heel raises for calves

• High knees

• Triceps dips

• Burpees

• Squats (include wall, split feet squats)

• Lunges

• Pushups (counter, wall or on your knees or toes on the floor)

• Mountain climber

• Planks (on counter or on your knees or toes)

• Ab curls (crunches)

• Superman

• Side curls

• Side plank

• If you are experienced with the above exercises, you can do each exercise for a minute, rest 10-15 seconds before moving onto the next exercise.

• If you are a beginner, I recommend doing each exercise for 15-20 seconds, rest 10-15 seconds, before moving onto the next exercise.

• The goal is to allow for partial recovery before the next intense interval while maintaining an elevated heart rate throughout the workout.

• Once you have completed your workout, don’t forget to lower your heart rate and stretch, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds. This will allow the blood flow back to your heart from your large muscles like your thighs, and prevent injuries and muscle soreness.

09 - Find an online class

• Find a relevant class on YouTube to suit your fitness level, experience or match your energy levels.

• It's easy enough to find a class, just type what type and length of class you are looking for, without equipment, if you have none available and voila, the choice is yours.

You can find anything from Pilates, yoga, dance, H.I.I.T., L.I.I.T., or stretching for every fitness level or experience.

• There are class duration times anything from 7 minutes to an hour.

• Some of my clients take their resistance bands with them on holiday. It's light and the amount of exercises they can do are endless.

10 - Book a class

• Attending a local gym?

  Have a look to see if your local gym is part of a franchise that may be available in other towns.

11 - Check the hotels gym

• Whether you’re on a cruise ship or booked at a hotel or resort, find out if you have access to their gym or fitness classes.

• Convenience at your fingertips.

12 - Go walkabout

• Whether you walk around a the airport terminal, bus or train station before your trip, it's a great way to get your blood circulating before or after your trip.

• Walking is a great way to take in the sights.

• It helps you really get the feel of the lay of the land, so to speak.

• It's convenient and easy.

There you have it.

Regardless of what type of movement you choose to enjoy, movement is movement and your body will benefit from all of it.

Which one will you try?