26 Jul Five simple ways to beat the holiday bulge

Are you off on an adventure packed holiday or maybe a relaxing tropical getaway? Don’t let your fitness regime get off track. We show you how to holiday (without taking a holiday from your exercise routine).

A vacation is a great way to escape but may not help the waistline. We often default on our fitness regime while we are on holidays making it all the more difficult getting back into a post holiday routine. Research shows we start to loose cardiovascular fitness and strength gains in as little as two weeks without exercise.

Here are five simple ways to beat the holiday bulge and stay on track with your fitness regime while still enjoying a great holiday.

Top 5 tips for fitting exercise into your holiday

1. Walk

Lets face it, walking is a great way to fit some exercise in during a holiday and it is a great way to take in the scenery. Walk along the beach to lunch, walk around the cities and parks. Walk in between tourist attractions. Just walk! After all, it is a free form of transport.

2. Hotel Room Workout

10 minutes is all it takes to do a little body weight workout pre-breakfast or pre-dinner. Here is an easy 10 minute workout example that the whole family can perform in the comfort of a hotel room: start by running or walking on the spot for 1 minute, perform 10 squat then 10 push ups, 10 star jumps, 10 calf raises, 10 triceps dips, 10 lunges and 10 over head punches. Repeat circuit three times. It will be sure to get your muscles working, heart pumping and metabolism burning.

3. Adventure Activities

Whatever type of holiday you are on and wherever you are in the world there are many fun and exciting activities that you can do that gets the heart racing and the muscles burning. Climb the stairs to that lookout, swim around on the tropical getaway or take that bike tour around the city. All incredible holiday experiences that can double as a form of exercise.

4. Keeping Moving

Lining up for tourist attractions can be boring and time consuming. Why not take the opportunity to move a little. March on the spot, rotate through the waistline, go up and down on your toes, move your arms around and stand instead of sit while waiting. Research shows our metabolisms slow down significantly when we are sedentary so the more we can move around the more energy we are burning. Burning a little extra energy gives us room for some of those delicious holidays treats!

5. Take Regular Movement Breaks when Travelling

Whether you are driving interstate or flying overseas, take the opportunity to pull over and have a break. Pull the car over in a rest area and walk around, stretch your legs and move your arms. Get up and walk up and down the isles in the plane, move your arms and legs while in your seat. Incorporating a little bit of movement while you are travelling, will not only keep your metabolism burning, it will help minimise muscle stiffness from being sedentary and help the blood flow around the body.