Staying Active During Summer Holidays
Summer holidays are a time to relax, recharge, and enjoy a break from normal routines. Unfortunately, many people assume that taking a holiday means abandoning all healthy habits, but the good news is that staying active while travelling does not require strict schedules or lengthy workouts.
The first step is changing your mindset. A holiday does not need to be a fitness boot camp. The goal is simply to keep moving and maintain some healthy habits while enjoying yourself; if you exercise regularly for 46 weeks of the year and take 6 weeks away from exercise while you are holidaying and spending time with your family across the year, do not even worry about it. The consistency of the whole year wins over short breaks.
Boost You Need
However, if you are patchy with your commitment to exercise, then holiday workouts might be the boost you need to get going again when you come home. Walking is one of the easiest ways to get started and to stay active on holiday. Exploring a new town, city, or coastline often involves far more movement than people realise and instead of relying on transport for every journey, consider walking when practical. You will often discover more interesting places along the way.
Swimming is another fantastic holiday activity, whether you are in a pool, lake, or the sea, swimming provides a full body workout that feels more like fun than exercise. It is also a great way to cool down during warm weather and you will be more active than you realise when hopping in and out of the pool.
Strength Training
If you enjoy strength training, you do not need to find a gym… take the week or two off, this will not derail your long term goals, I promise. However if you are not quite ready for that, then body weight exercises such as squats, lunges, push ups, and planks can be performed almost anywhere. A quick twenty minute session a few times during your trip can help maintain your fitness levels.
Food is another area where people often worry unnecessarily. Enjoying local cuisine is part of the holiday experience and rather than trying to be perfect, aim for balance. Enjoy treats and special meals while still including fruit, vegetables, and protein where possible.
And remember to stay hydrated!
One of the biggest mistakes people make is adopting an all or nothing approach. They either try to follow their normal routine perfectly or completely abandon healthy habits. A more realistic strategy is to maintain a few simple habits while giving yourself permission to relax; fitness should support your life, not control it. Holidays provide an opportunity to enjoy movement in different ways and create positive memories and staying active does not mean missing out on the fun. In many cases, it enhances the experience.
This summer, focus on balance rather than perfection. Go, enjoy your holiday, stay active where you can, and remember that long term consistency matters far more than a single week away from your normal routine.
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Thank you for reading this weeks blog, Staying Active During Summer Holidays.
Thanks for reading,
Chloe