Just because you’re going away on holiday, it doesn’t mean that your fitness routine should take a holiday as well. There are plenty of ways to stay fit on holiday that doesn’t involve slaving away in the hotel’s gym for hours on end. With a bit of forward planning, you can ensure you stay in shape for the duration of your holiday. However, be realistic about how much exercise you want to do. Holidays are about having fun so don’t be too hard on yourself if you skip a workout – you’ve earned this break!
Not all hotels have a gym and even if they do, they are not always spaces you want to spend valuable holiday time in. Packing your gym equipment may sound crazy – and we certainly don’t recommend a fold away treadmill or a set of weights – but you can pack a few clever items that will give you a good work-out when on holiday.
Here are our top fitness items to make working out on holiday easy and fun, and don’t take up too much room in your suitcase.
Skipping Rope
Skipping is a fantastic way to keep fit and can be done anywhere and at any time. Skipping will help to improve your cardio fitness, flexibility, helps with endurance, stamina and coordination. Lightweight skipping ropes will fit inside one of your shoes in your suitcase for handing packing and they’re one of the best pieces of equipment for working out on holiday without takin gup the whole day.
Check out this 10 minute workout you can do in your hotel room.
Swimming goggles
Swimming is a great way to exercise that can strengthen your arms, shoulders, legs and glutes. As the water resistance forces the entire body to get involved – helping to create a strong core without a single sit up or crunch.
This low impact sport is a fantastic confidence booster whether you’re doing front crawl or breast stroke, swimming on holiday can be fun. You don’t need to be professional to reap the benefits of swimming, why not try swimming in the sea for an extra kick of endorphins. Swimming is one of the best ways of working out on holiday because it will keep you cool at the same time.
Earplugs
If like us, you hate water going in your ears when you swim, then earplugs are ideal for blocking water out, yet still allowing you to hear external noise. Plus they’re so tiny, you can even pack them in hand luggage.
Floatation belts
Floatation belts are a fantastic piece of kit. They are ideal for those who are coming back from injury, which requires you to rest from the impact of your normal sporting activity. As aqua jogging uses the same muscle groups as you would while running, but with less impact. It is also a great way to cross train and help you get stronger. The floatation belt will lie flat, in suitcase and only weighs 198g.
Sunglasses
If you’re exercising outside you need to protect your eyes from sun damage. Sun glasses may seem like a general holiday essential but they’re also a must for working out on holiday. There’s no need to waste space in the suitcase with sunglasses too, you’ll be needed them as soon as you step foot off the plane!
Resistance bands
Resistance bands and cords are stretchy bands, which are very effective and versatile for both upper and lower body conditioning. They allow you to perform a variety of strength and fitness exercises along with increasing your flexibility. You’ll often get different coloured bands within one pack which offer varying resistance levels, perfect for accommodating all strength levels.
Here is a great 10 minute workout you can do in your hotel room.
Hula hoop (yes, really!)
Release your inner child by hula hooping your way to fitness, with a weighted hula hoop. Just 10 minutes of hooping delivers a tough core workout – perfect ten minute routine to stay fit on holiday. The key to mastering the hoop is to get into a steady rhythm. Again this is something you can do in the comfort of your hotel room. It doesn’t need to weight a lot, less than 2kg, and usually it can easily fit down the side of your suitcase by disconnecting into two pieces.
Here’s a 10 minute workout to try, come on you know you want to.
Running belt
If you love going out for a run, hike, cycle or horse ride while you’re on holiday and wonder how you’re going to carry essentials – then the a running belt will be a god send. While being compact, they stretch enough to hold all the gadgets you need to get you through that workout. Running belts don’t move while running or doing other activities to make working out on holiday easy peasy. They’ll easily fit in your suitcase as they’re only small and don’t weigh much at all.
Sun protection
Whatever outdoor activity you are taking part in, you need to make sure that you are wearing the right sun protection. P20 is an ideal choice, not only for sport enthusiasts but for every day wear, as it last for 10 hours. It’s not sticky, messy and doesn’t leave a residue when applied. P20 is very water resistant, so doesn’t need to be reapplied after you’ve been for a swim, even after a prolonged immersion in water.
Earphones
Listening to music while exercising is a great way to make training fun and keep you motivated while working out on holiday. You can also use them on the plane to watch a few inflight movies or keep you going as your bum starts to go numb and the person next to you starts to nod off on your shoulder.
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