Put your out of office on your emails, not your fitness regime. Here, we share our top three tips for exercising while you travel to help you stay in better shape than your air miles.
Whilst getting your sweat on might sound like your idea of hell when you’re on holiday, there are plenty of benefits to keeping up your fitness regime whilst away. And by using a multitude of in-your-pocket apps, YouTube videos and your good old-fashioned body weight, you can work out literally anywhere.
In some cases you don’t even have to pack your own gear. Here’s how…
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Do it yourself
“It’s important that you keep your fitness regime going while you’re travelling to make sure you don’t undo all the hard work you’ve already put in,” Devinder Bains, the co-founder of Dubai-based personal training company Fit Squad DXB tells EW.
“You won’t lose any fitness if you have a few days off and the rest period might actually do your muscles some good, but team that with the extra calories you’re likely to consume on holiday and you might start seeing some weight gain around the stomach.”
Leave the excess baggage in your luggage and instead opt for some simple exercises to keep you moving.
Devinder suggests “walking to places whenever you can, taking the stairs whenever possible for a great leg and bum workout, or if the hotel has a pool adding a gentle swim to your routine. Plus, you can do an array of exercises in your hotel room like your classic squat (go for 20 reps per circuit) or tricep dips and incline push-ups using a chair.”
The most important thing to remember is that any movement is good movement.
“Don’t be obsessed with getting that full hour in the gym. A lot of people think that if they can’t go for the hour then there’s no point at all, but that’s not true – 15-20 minutes of hill sprints on the treadmill is more than enough cardio to get your heart racing and your body burning calories for hours after you leave the gym.”
App it up
If you think you lack the willpower to push yourself, why not download some fitness apps, or sign up to an online exercise hub, before you board?
Australian personal trainer Kayla Itsines launched her very own app, aptly titled Sweat With Kayla, in late 2015 and it is the top grossing health and fitness app on iTunes. Packed with 28-minute workouts, it’s the perfect in-your-pocket trainer to take overseas.
Body By Simone is run by Simone de la Rue, an ex-Broadway dancer, and the likes of Karlie Kloss, Chrissy Teigen and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are fans. Simone’s site has a bunch of workouts ranging in length from 12-45 minutes and split into categories such as upper body, lower body, full body, cardio and stretch.
If all else fails, YouTube is packed with free workout videos. EW’s faves? Tone It Up and Sweaty Betty both offer a number of easy-to-follow routines that can be done just about anywhere and with no extra equipment.
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Devinder also suggests “looking for gym apps in the city you’re in that let you drop in and use a nearby gym. If you’re in the UK, try ‘Pay As You Gym,’ which allows you to attend sessions for as little as Dhs15.”
Similarly, why not look for famous workouts in town such as Soul Cycle or Barry’s Bootcamp (which has just opened its doors in Dubai’s DIFC) and drop in for a sweat session ahead of a day of sightseeing.
Location, location, location
If it’s the thought of wasting precious luggage space on trainers and lycra that stops you from exercising while on holiday, worry not, as there are several hotels regionally and internationally that offer gym kit rental to their guests.
The Westin, for example, will deck you out in New Balance gear for less than Dhs20 per use. Over at the Fairmont, members of the President’s Club and premier and platinum members have Reebok apparel at their disposal for the entirety of their stay. In addition to clothing and footwear, the hotel also provides guests with a yoga mat and stretch band to aid their workout. All you need to do is bring your favourite tunes.
Images: Supplied
Words: Maddison Glendinning
