Going away on holidays can play havoc with the hard work you put into your health and fitness on a daily basis. Over the years I have found that even two weeks break in my clients normal routine can make it difficult for them to re-establish their good habits when they return. The last thing you want is to be battling to move extra kilo’s when you come back from a wonderful trip.
When I head off on a holiday I am happy to have a break from my everyday training schedule but its important to me to maintain my fitness. With a bit of planning, this is very possible and only adds to the enjoyment of your break.
My husband and I have recently returned from a bucket list trip to South America. I had always longed to go to Machu Picchu and David (being an animal man) was keen to explore the Amazon and Galapagos Islands.
Both the Galapagos and Amazon parts of the trip involved spending time on boats, which David and I haven’t done before. I have no issue with boats, but have to admit was a bit worried about how much activity we would be able to do confined onboard! I tend to get a bit cranky if I haven’t exercised for a few days.
My lovely husband, who knows me well, (and obviously wanted to avoid an angry wife) asked our travel agent to make sure that both boats we were staying on had gyms. We also checked the itineraries carefully and made sure that some sort of physical activity was available on a daily basis. On the Amazon we spent three nights aboard the Aria, a beautiful boat that with 12 rooms that held up to 24 people. The “gym” was a treadmill and bike in a very small room where the air conditioner didn’t work. I got the feeling that it didn’t get used very often! However, I’m not complaining and I did use the treadmill twice to do short runs. I am sure travelling with my very own Harry Butler/Steve Irwin helped keep me fit as my Heart rate was elevated on a few occasions. The first being when David decided it was a good idea to catch the HUGE boa constrictor that our tracker found minding his own business under a log. The second was when our guide spotted a Caiman (crocodile) on the riverbank and as he pulled our “panga” near it David promptly leaned out of the boat and picked it up so we could all get a closer look. You can imagine the excitement in our small craft as a crocodile came aboard!
We planned our trip so the Machu Picchu four-day trek came in between the two boat trips. This worked really well; by the time we reached the Inca trail we were ready to get moving, and by the time we dragged our weary bodies into Machu Picchu on day four we were in desperate need of a good rest…and a shower! The Inca trail starts at 2800m above sea level and at its highest point is 4200m. As you can imagine there is a lot of uphill and plenty of steps. You are exercising at altitude for 5 or more hours a day, and while you don’t move quickly, it is very consistent exercise. We were crawling into our tent at 7.30pm every night exhausted but blown away by the incredible scenery and staggered by the ingenuity of the Inca people.
The last leg of our trip was to fly into San Cristobel in Ecuador and board our ship, the M.V. Origin, to set off and explore the Galapagos Islands. After settling into our cabins my first priority was to find the gym (David’s was to find the bar) and I was pleasantly surprised to find a good sized, well-ventilated room with decent equipment. To be honest, I would much rather exercise outside, but that isn’t an option when you are surrounded by water, and very cold water at that!
We were on the Origin for 7 nights, which I expected to be a bit of a challenge, but can happily report that it wasn’t. The level of activity was higher than in the Amazon and included walking with blue-footed boobies, snorkeling with sea lions and turtles (in the very cold water), and kayaking. I only used the gym twice while on board for short workouts.
When David and I were in staying in cities overnight we made a point of going out for long walks. This is a great way to see a city and explore areas you wouldn’t find on a bus or in a car. I would normally add some runs to our schedule but the week before we left for our trip I ran the Melbourne marathon and my body was telling me it needed a rest.
Making the right food choices is also really important. Try to stick to natural, foods that nuture your body and make you feel good. Make the best choice’s you can from what’s available, generally going local is a good option as you will get fresh produce that is in season. On the Machu Picchu hike we had to ask our guide to reduce the amount of food they were giving us. Every meal was a soup, large main and dessert, with an endless supply of yummy bread which was impossible to resist. Even exercising every day, we couldn’t consume the volume they provided. Our Porters were happy as they got to eat the extra food that we didn’t need.
When you are passionate about health and fitness the last thing you want to do is to go away on holidays and lose it all. Being mindful of what you are eating and fitting in some exercise can keep your good habits established which makes it much easier to slip back into your routine when you return home. With a bit of careful planning you can organize a trip that meets your exercise needs without having to revolve around it.
Don’t forget, exercise releases endorphins that make you feel happy, so getting in a few workouts will only increase your enjoyment of everything you are experiencing. It’s a win-win.
