Staying fit when on vacation can be quite a challenge. Keeping an eye out on your calory intake can be tedious, if not downright dreadful, when you are supposed to enjoy the local delicacies without restraining. Not to mention it is difficult to stay fit when your diet and exercising are both out of the picture. It is easier to compensate by working out while you are on holiday than to maintain a perfectly clean diet. After all, you certainly do not want to miss out on delicious, mouth-watering Italian cuisine. Thus, we present you with seven ways to get a workout on vacation.
The lack of equipment and space are the major obstacles you have to overcome to get a good workout. Providing you are motivated enough to even exercise in the first place. Most people associate holidays with rest, but light exercise can be quite invigorating. What’s more, getting back into your workout routine after the vacation will be a lot harder if you haven’t exercised at all. Luckily, there are inventive ways you can still stay in shape even on holiday.
1. Lift your luggage
In recent years, weight training has become the poster child of effective exercising. And sure, the speedy progress you make in the gym cannot be matched by other workout routines. However, lifting is complicated to execute on vacation unless you stay at a hotel where there is a gym.
If you are a ‘gym rat,’ you can still practice your favorite exercises and lifts. Grab two bottles of water, and you are good to go. You can also fill your suitcase with your belongings to the desired weight. It might seem strange from this perspective, but you can use your bag as a medicine ball and for push and pull exercises.
For example, you can do five rounds with eight reps each of the following exercises with your luggage serving as weights:
- Walking lunges while holding your bag
- Bench press with a smaller suitcase or backpack
- Bend over and lift the bag with your arms up to the chest
- Deadlift while holding the strap of the bag
- Deadlift, curl to the chest, push the bag overhead
If you decide to use your bag as weights, you may have to load and unload it depending on how much weight you need and which items are not designed to withstand tumbling and potential drops. Also, if you are worried about leaving some of the important documents or luxury items lying around in your room, you may want to consider renting storage. It is better to leave them in a safe storage unit in your vicinity where they will remain safe and sound. It is especially true if you are on a longer holiday and need to have more of your items.
2. Bodyweight exercises
Bodyweight exercises are a great vacation routine because you can do them in your accommodation. There are a plethora of awesome workouts available online that can activate your muscles without disturbing anyone around you. Even 20 minutes of bodyweight exercises can help maintain your strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. And you need all of these things, whether you are exploring the crowded streets of amazing Italian cities or lounging on the beach.
3. Swimming
Most people prefer vacation workouts that do not leave them too exhausted. Swimming is excellent because it requires no equipment and it refreshes you before or after a long day of sightseeing. What’s more, you only need your swimsuit and a towel to do it.
This low-impact activity ticks all the boxes as it counts as both cardio and strength training. In addition, swimming helps the body relax, so you will be able to fall asleep more easily.
Large pools such as standard Olympic pools (164 feet long) make for a great endurance workout. If it is a smaller pool, you can alternate between fast and slow intervals to activate your muscles.
4. Resistance bands
Resistance bands have been attracting a lot of attention in the world of fitness – and for a good reason. This portable fitness gadget allows you to bring resistance training with you.
You can go to a nearby park or stay in your hotel room and hook the resistance band to your bed, the window, the door, etc. These bands enable a range of movements and levels of difficulty. So, it is easy to use them in line with your workout need
5. Park exercises and fitness trails
If your hotel room or Airbnb is too stuffy or cramped, head on out and look for a nearby park or fitness trail. If you do not find a park with pushup bars and balance beams, you can use monkey bars and benches if there are no kids around.
Working out in public spaces also allows you to glimpse how the locals live and exercise. You can do three sets of exercises with 12-12 repetitions:
- Lunges
- Pushups
- Press-ups
- Air squats
- Plank (30-45 seconds)
6. Interval training
If you are into jogging or running, you can do interval training with shorter bursts of sprinting and longer slow-pace running or fast-walking. There is plenty of evidence that shows this kind of workout is highly effective for weight loss and cardiovascular fitness.
It will not take up too much of your time either – a 30-minute session is enough to keep you in shape. You need good running shoes to prevent injuries, and you are good to go.
7. Cycling – the best way to workout on vacation
Our personal favorite vacation workout must be cycling. One of the best things about cycling is that you can get a workout on vacation while simultaneously visiting every location, restaurant, or museum you have set your sights on. Luckily, many cities in Italy offer inexpensive public bicycles you can rent easily and affordably. You can also combine cycling with tasty recipes for cyclists so that you have enough energy to cycle all day, every day while on vacation.
