How to approach movement and food on your holidays
Holiday season is upon us. And I've been having a tonne of conversations with my lovely clients on how to approach holidays when it comes to health and fitness. So I thought I'd put together my thoughts in a blog to maybe help you make some decisions or ease your feelings around holidays.
Focus on you, hunny
Let's start before the holiday. You and the body you are in right now are already worthy of any beach, pool, spa, adventure, hike, club - you don't NEED to change yourself to fit into what we think we should 'look' like on holiday. That being said, if weight or fat loss for a holiday is something you do want for yourself, that's totally fab - just make sure you're approaching it with balance. Having an all-or-nothing approach might leave you feeling fatigued, grouchy and ready for a 'binge' on holiday. Rather, think about how you can approach your nutrition and movement in a manageable way whilst also working on how you see yourself before the holiday begins. So you can start it off feeling energised and ready for an adventure!
Having a real break from training
Now onto the good stuff - the holiday itself. I often get asked - should I train while I'm away? Of course this is totally up to you. If you love to train and have a gym accessible, then of course go for it. BUT what I would say is a few things:
Consider how you want to spend your time.
Training can eat into your precious travel time and energy. This is especially true if (like me) you love to explore, get out into a culture and immerse yourself in it. Consider how much walking and other activity you're doing and go from there - if you have the energy, time and desire, go for it. This could be a YouTube bodyweight video just to shake off the cobwebs, a full gym session or whatever you fancy. Just don't attach morality to choosing NOT to work out when you're away. This isn't a signal of a lack of discipline, but rather a conscious choice to spend your time and energy elsewhere. Feel empowered by that choice.
Deloads are real
If you're a seasoned gym-goer or love to train, you no doubt have heard of a deload week. Scheduled weeks into your programme where your body, mind and central nervous system has a chance to recover and rest properly. Deloads are essential for your body to prevent injury, mental fatigue from training and heightened cortisol responses. It's suggested that a full two weeks once a year should be spent completely off programme - to give the body time to fully reset. And once every 6-8 weeks, volume and intensity should be reduced in terms of sessions (less weight, fewer reps, fewer workouts, less mileage for cycling or running - you get the idea). This gives true legitimacy to the power of taking breaks. You'll come back to training feeling revitalised and ready to smash it once again.
Focus on making memories, not gains
Again, I can't tell you what to do, but so often our hustle culture encourages us to always be 'on point' even when we're having a break. I love to train and it really helps me to manage food noise and anxiety, so I'm planning to do some running when I'm away in Korea this year. BUT my main goal is to connect with my partner, to have memories we'll look back on in years to come and not to do something I could literally do anywhere in the world. So perhaps think of ways of moving your body which might be unique to the place or help you take in the sights - running outdoors, hiking, trying a fun workout class. If you want to move, make sure it's contributing to the memories you're making, not detracting from them.
Having fun with food
One of the best bits (in my opinion) of going away is getting to enjoy a new cuisine or different types of food. Now I'm going to give my two pence on two different scenarios which most of us fall into:
You go all out on holiday and don't care about intake
All power to you! Enjoy the spoils. BUT if you're looking for a bit of guidance on how to approach food with a balanced but enjoyable perspective, read on.
Stay present when you're eating. Listen to your fullness cues and ask yourself what you're really fancying. Whether it's a breakfast buffet or you're spoilt for choice at a food market, it can be really easy to go for volume over anything else. But consider what you really fancy and slow down when you're full.
Try and get some fruit and veg in. It's so easy to go all out on the yummy stuff, but often fruit and vegetables are amazing ways to open up your taste buds and see how produce differs in different places. These fibre bombs will also keep things moving, if you get my drift, so you can feel comfortable on your holidays.
You're worried about eating too much on holiday or have fitness goals
It can be easy to fall into the mindset of feeling out of control when it comes to holidays. Everything is on offer and it can feel overwhelming. So if you're in this camp, this is for you.
Remember your travelling needs fuelling. Just because you might be out of routine, your body still needs fuel and certainly needs it to enjoy the cultural landscape you're visiting.
See food as part of the cultural experience. Food is reflective of the culture it exists in - new tastes, ingredients, ways of cooking, ties to history etc. Enjoying it is part of the cultural experience, so challenge yourself to try different foods.
Know this is temporary. A holiday is just that - a holiday away from the norm. So you will eat foods that aren't typical for you - and this isn't a reflection of your lack of control or discipline. You'll get back to routine when you're home, but think of the regret you'll feel not freely enjoying what your chosen destination has to offer.
On both occasions, guilt isn't invited to the party. Food is part of the fun of travelling and an experience you can share with others. Stay present, soak it up and enjoy all the flavours and memories you experience.
I hope this has helped you to feel less anxious and more mindful about your upcoming trips. But remember that I'm always here if you need a chat (drop into my DMs) and more blogs are on the way in the coming weeks!
