8 ways to fight the holiday pounds

Ah, holidays! You get to spend quality time with your family, explore new places, learn about new cultures and enjoy new experiences.

Right? So why is that most people come back from holidays with a truck load of guilt and angst?

All work and no play may make Jack dull, but all play and no workout will definitely impact your fitness goals and progress you have achieved so far. This is the trouble with holidays – it can make us heavier and lazier than before the holiday and can undo all the good that we had achieved.

If you are looking for ways to have a healthy holiday then read on:

Stay on track

It is hard to stay motivated and as driven about your fitness routine when you are on a holiday. Anyone would rather like to lounge by the poolside or have a relaxed meal with the family, than workout. Perfectly understandable. So, here are some tips that could make it easier for you to stick to your holiday fitness routine.

1. Start at the airport. Yes you read me right. Flight delays are part and parcel of most of our holidays; so are layovers. Instead of sitting on those uncomfortable chairs and cribbing, check your luggage in or store it in the airport locker and explore the terminal. Climb up the stairs or conduct mini contests as to who can reach Gate number 20 first (no running allowed). Remember to wear comfortable shoes. Also, walk up and down the travelators instead of being stationary.

2. Early bird. Not all of us like to get up early in the morning to workout but when you are on a holiday it is a good idea to get it out of the way first thing in the morning. Once the day begins you will have a lot of other things on your mind ranging from exploration and meals, to just sitting back and watching the sun set. Getting up early and doing a workout will mean you feel focused and motivated for the day ahead.

3. Plan ahead. If you are planning a vacation by the seaside take your swimming and running gear along. How about some beach volleyball? Headed to the mountains? Pack your hiking shoes. If your destination is a new city, find out whether you can rent a cycle and explore.

4. Sneaky activities: It is difficult to get everyone motivated to join you for a workout. However, it is easy to motivate everyone to walk to and back from that popular restaurant. If you are travelling with a group of adults, a night out can involve dancing – a really fun way to burn off those calories.

5. Modify your workout. Don’t be rigid about the nature of your workout. You may be used to working out for an hour or more when you are at home, however, you need to remember that on a holiday you may need to condense your workout a bit, to allow for greater demands on your time by family and friends for more ‘fun’ activities. You need to relax and learn to go with the flow a bit.

6. Activity driven. Fitness doesn’t have to be about the gym or running or lifting weights. Include activities in to your holiday schedule that will burn calories and contribute to family fun. Hiking, surfing, skiing, skating, snorkelling, cycling, walking through new towns and cities are all great ways to burn the calories. If you are travelling with children, you may find that you will automatically get your weight training as you lug your baby around in a baby carrier. Travelling with toddlers and older children means you need to indulge in activities like cycling, swimming or trampoline jumping; the idea is to be active and have fun.

7. Indoors. It does not happen often but it is possible that you are rained in and stuck in your hotel. Well, get off the couch and head to the hotel gym or indoor pool.

8. Ease back. When you get back from your holiday, the temptation to hit the gym and work off every extra gram you collected during your holidays may be quite intense. To avoid injuries it is advisable that on your return you ease back with lighter weights and lesser intensity or duration than your pre-trip workouts. However, if you have been away for just a week or 10 days, then this should not be much of an issue, presuming you can boast of very good fitness levels.