Active Summer Holidays – Is It Worth Working Out on Vacation?

A sound mind in a sound body. We all know this proverb, but do we all try to stay healthy? Regular, moderate physical activity is a way to keep your body and mind in good shape. Whenever I can, I try to encourage people around me to do physical activity and to lead a broadly understood healthy lifestyle. One of the tools I use for this are the many training programs available to you on the Diet & Training by Ann app 🙂

That’s why today I want to talk about an important topic this time of year, which is staying active during your summer break. On the one hand, it is supposed to be a time of rest, regeneration and gaining strength for the next months of work and everyday duties. On the other hand, it is worth asking yourself, what is rest? How will the body regenerate? Of course, each of you can answer these questions differently, and that’s perfectly fine.

I think that vacation equals pleasure and treats for everyone, it is an escape from everyday life. What form of recreation we prefer often depends on our daily lifestyle. People who work in the office can often choose active holidays, and those who work more physically will dream of rest, e.g. with a book in their hands. Of course, this is not the rule.

 

Active Holiday

Physical activity:

• improves well-being,
• prevents obesity and is helps prevent many civilization diseases,
• boosts self-esteem.

It’s a great idea to try something new during the holidays and I encourage you to do so! If you work out at the gym every day, or go for a run, then during the holidays it is worth trying a different form of exercise, e.g. learn to swim with a sup paddle, go cycling, horse riding, etc. The possibilities are endless and really, there’s something for everyone. The key is to choose what will give you pleasure and help you relax. I encourage you to use the Diet & Training by Ann app on a regular basis – more new workout programs and new activities are still appearing there (one of the latest are Pilates workouts prepared by Adriana Sintes).

 

 

According to the Plan or Spontaneously?

If you spend your holidays in an active way, walk a lot, explore, do seasonal sports – you are constantly on the move, a short break from your regular training plan will not negatively affect your body and shape.

However, if you are planning to spend a week lazing on the beach and trying local food, it would definitely do you good to pencil in some time for training or any other activity. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym or running for hours. For example, a short workout with my Diet&Training by Ann app, which you can do in a hotel room or outdoors, will be great here. Another great and easy option is simply going for a walk, swimming in the sea, or renting a bike and exploring the area. The possibilities are endless.

 

Holiday Food

Does the way you eat on vacation look different than usual? It’s perfectly normal. Remember that a healthy lifestyle is about finding the balance between what is healthy for the body and what is good for the mind. However, a greater amount of sweets, ice cream, salty snacks, alcohol or fried dishes, and thus a greater amount of kilocalories absorbed, may have a negative impact on your well-being. The ideal solution will be spending time actively during holiday travels. Why? It’s simple because physical activity:

• increases the body’s need for energy,
• helps to lower the level of glucose in the blood due to its increased demand when changing the eating style,
• improves the sensitivity of cells to insulin, which is responsible for providing energy to every cell of the body,
• has a positive effect on the peristalsis of the digestive tract,
• lowers blood pressure, which may increase as a result of the larger amounts of salt in the holiday menu.

Personally, I believe that regardless of the circumstances, staying active and practicing various types of sports pays off. Holidays are also a good time to try something new. You have more time to find out if it’s something for you. And if it turns out to be great, you will be happy to implement the new activity into your daily routine and, what’s more, you may have good associations with it. That’s why I think it’s worth training during your holidays, because it can bring a lot of benefits, and the side effect will be your well-being!

 

Have I managed to convince you to stay active during your holidays? Let me know in the comments what type of rest you prefer Holidays are the best time to slow down and find some me time. It is, however, still worth taking care of yourself using your common sense 🙂

 

Bibliography:

1. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S i wsp. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;54(24):1451-1462
2. Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW. Health Benefits of Exercise. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018 Jul; 8(7)