Training on holiday

I know for many of you, holidays are a time to take a break from work, from routine, and maybe even from training. But if you do feel like moving a little while you’re away, there are simple ways to make it work without turning your holiday into a bootcamp.

This is not the first time I have written about training when away from home/during holiday periods. I wrote about training while travelling, and also about how to train with kids. Today, I am focusing on what you do when you are on holiday. I asked some of my class members what they do so some of the ideas also come from them. A few of them shared photos of the types of exercise they did on holiday: Debbie ran through the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris; Chloe kayaked; and Michaela cycled in Basque Country, Spain.

You don’t need to be perfect

You are on holiday and it’s also time to relax, so if you usually follow a strict schedule, it’s fine to let it go and adopt a “good enough” attitude. I currently have a client training for a back yard ultra (a running event), and he has been following my running plan religiously and he will go on holiday for two weeks in the summer. He has told me that he can’t train in the same way. They will do a lot of walking in the mountains. So, we agreed he can have an unstructured week and can fit in some runs when he can. He will still have a lot of time on his feet walking and the terrain will be challenging.

Morning sessions

This is what works for me. I have to get it done and then I don’t have to think about it anymore, and I also start early enough so it doesn’t impact my fellow holiday makers. It is also what one of my group clients does. This is what she told me:

“We plan our days around the training we need to do. For us, it works best to do sports in the morning and relax in the afternoon. We may also change a specific training with another sport, depending on the terrain or weather conditions (safety first). For strength training, I always bring my resistance bands and a yoga mat. The key is to plan it in the morning for us.”

Fitness apps

Among my American clients, the Peloton app is very popular for strength and HIIT sessions. They are often short sessions that are easy to fit into the day. But other apps and YouTube videos are available for you to try out.

Ask your trainer for a programme

I have a group class member who can’t join for a couple of weeks, so I gave her a shorter workout to keep her fitness up, without the barrier of thinking she “has to” do an hour-long class each time.

Runs/walks

While running and walking are not muscle building, they are a good way to get moving, and in the case of running, get some cardio in. It is also a great way to see some of the area you are in that you might otherwise miss. One client follows this up with coffee at a local cafe, another way to know the neighbourhood 😄.

Add an active day or two to your holiday

For example, try out some water sports, organised runs or bike rides. Or make your holiday around a sport. Skiing anyone?

Join my online class

I have my group members continue to join the Monday class at 12:00. Both those from the Monday class and members from the live Wednesday class sometimes attend this one when they are away.

Planning

All these are great ideas, but without planning them into your schedule, they can easily be missed. Also, make sure your fellow holiday makers know what your plans are.