How to stay on track whilst on holiday

Many people will be going away this Summer and the idea of training will be last on their list, which is absolutely fine. However, a growing majority of the "fitfam" population will want to stay on track with their training & nutrition while they're away. So, below are my top 5 tips to help you when you're on holiday:

1. The flight 

When flying you need to stay hydrated. I suggest drinking an extra 500ml of water per hour in addition to your normal daily consumption (e.g. Extra 2L for a 4 hour flight). Due to the lack of humidity in the air cabin, this can exaggerate dehydration. A simple test to see if you're hydrated is to aim for "clear" urine when you do go to the bathroom. Also remember, alcohol will exacerbate dehydration. So if you have a few beers whilst flying long haul, drink zero water and don't move from your seat, then don't be surprised if your joints look/feel swollen on the first few days of your holiday! It's also important to keep the blood circulating during a flight in order to prevent such swollen joints and the dreaded "cankles". You can achieve this by performing regular movements such as walking around or some light stretching where possible.

2. Protein

On your holiday getting enough carbs and fats are not going to be a problem. If you're staying in an all-inclusive there will be enough carbs on the breakfast buffet to last you a week! Hitting your daily protein requirements can be harder though so I suggest taking whey protein away with you so that you can supplement your diet with additional protein.

3. Training 

With a few clicks of a button you can google to see if your hotel has a gym, or if there is one in the local area. If you have access to one - happy days! I suggest you go early before breakfast before it gets too warm. If you don't have a gym, or you do and it's serious lacking any decent equipment, think outside the box. Body weight workouts are not just for beginners, they can be a life saver on holiday. E.g try this simple circuit below:

X5 burpees
X10 press ups
X15 squats
X20 dips (off a step/bench)
X25 jumping jacks
Rest 1 min. Repeat 3-5 times

4. No gym no problem 

There are many ways to stay fit on holiday other than hitting the gym e.g. Swimming. Access to a pool abroad shouldn't be a problem and it's very easy to get your heart rate into the red zone. In the pool swim front crawl for 2 lengths as quick as you can and then rest for 30-60s. Repeat 10-20 times depending on your fitness level and you have just performed a H.I.I.T session! 

If you can't swim or don't enjoy it, make your way to the beach and enjoy a power walk across the beach, you won't ever find better surrounding for a morning stroll. 

5. Self discipline

The top 4 tips above will help you out a lot but without doubt this is the biggest one. Remember it's your holiday so you want to relax, enjoy time with loved ones and taste some good food. But if you go crazy and eat yourself into a "carb coma" each night, the calories will catch up on you. For example the average muffin has 466 calories in it, that will take 30s to eat and take an hour of intense exercise to burn off! Just saying no a couple times each day can make a HUGE difference throughout your holiday.