A holiday can be the undoing of a health and fitness regime – but it need not be.
James Davis, founder of 38 Degrees North, a luxury fitness retreat in Ibiza, has put together some simple tips to help you have fun and not feel guilty about your summer break.
- Commit to doing something active each day, starting from day one. It could be a 20-minute, in-room workout, a session in the hotel gym, a run, lengths of the pool, but get started on your first day and keep it up.
- Watch the cocktails; when you’re at the bar, try to steer clear of calorific cocktails with sugary mixers such as rum and coke, or creamy cocktails such as a Pina Colada. Beer isn’t a great choice either so try and stick to wine or clear spirits mixed with soda water and you’ll be sure to keep your calorie intake down.
- Check for classes – lots of hotels these days offer yoga and/or gym classes. Opt for a couple a week; it’s always good fun to try something different and you may learn something new too.
- Beware of the buffet. It might look good, but going up for multiple servings mean you can easily lose track of what you’re eating. Breakfast on holiday can be a tricky one too as hotels seem to veer between two camps; far too little or far too much! Try to stick to what you’d eat at home, such as raw oats, natural yoghurts, small fruit servings, poached eggs and/or salmon.
- Stay hydrated; if you’re away somewhere hot and propping up the bar, keep topping up with water as well as thirst is often mistaken for hunger so this might keep you away from snacking.
- Or you could book a fitness holiday instead, where you can have fun in the sun and get in shape.