Audience: People new to training or unsure about what to do on holiday
Overview: Taking a complete break from training when on holiday is sometimes necessary if you have been hitting it pretty hard. However it can also lead to regression and then frustration for many people. It doesn’t take a lot to maintain progress. We discuss ways you can stay on top of your training whilst away.
Time to read: 2 minutes
Knowing what to do when you go on holiday in regards to your training can be difficult. Do you take the holiday as a well deserved break from training and then get frustrated when you arrive home and realise you have regressed? Or do you continue training throughout your holiday?
If you’d like to continue to train, but find it difficult you likely have some questions…
“Where do I find a gym?”
“How much does it cost?”
“Is there a language barrier?”
“What is all the equipment is different?”
What do you do then…avoid it?
Whilst some of us may love training on holiday, some may never have experienced training when abroad and don’t know what to look for let alone how to even go about it. This article will hopefully help you set a plan to allow you to continue training when you go on holiday, so that you can keep your rate of progress ticking up and not have to worry about regressing when away.
So where do you start?…
Many hotels already have a gym as part of the amenities, so when searching for a hotel to stay at, add that into your ‘must have’ list. However, what if you are wanting to stay in an Air BnB or a villa:
Step 1 – Look into gyms in the area
Before you go head off, if you haven’t already decided exactly where you want to stay, use gym locations to help you make your decision. If you have, see if there is a gym close by that you can get easily to. There are options if there are no gyms close by. We all managed to keep some form of training going in lockdown with various pieces of equipment. So don’t give up on the idea of training if there isn’t a gym nearby. Take bands, light weights or a TRX if you have one and adapt your training for the villa/ apartment you will be staying in.
Step 2 – Look out for 1 day passes and free trials.
So, you have found a gym in the area, but how do you go about applying for a pass over your holiday period? You can do this a few different ways. First way, is to go onto the gyms website, see if you can book day/ week passes. If you cannot see this option, find a way to contact the gym directly, either through email, or social media. Drop them a message, and usually they will respond explaining how to go about getting a pass for the time you are there. If you cannot see a way to contact the gym directly, drop in on the first day of your holiday and ask. Luckily, english is a commonly known language across many parts of the world, however, if they cannot understand what you are asking for…use Google Translate!
Step 3 – Go into the gym and do your session! Voila!
But what if the thought of going into an unknown gym in another country sounds like it’s too daunting to do? First off, try to not put pressure on yourself. On the first day of your holiday, just go into your chosen gym and wander around. Don’t force yourself to do a session the first time you go in. If the new environment makes you nervous. Just go in to find your bearings, get used to the layout and see who is in the gym, then leave. Later or the next day maybe you can go in and try your warm up, and if you feel comfortable, try your session, just don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you have a coach, speak to them before you go on holiday, put a strategy/programme together with them that will make the visit easier for you, this could be shorter sessions, a program that doesn’t require a lot of equipment set up etc.
Hopefully this helps you when it comes to keeping your training going throughout your holiday, allowing you to keep the progress going.