Practicing what I preach: How I stayed fit on Holiday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After my recent blog post on staying fit while traveling or working I had to put it to good use on a holiday to the south of France in which I indulged in wine, expresso’s and the french Riviera lifestyle, whilst keeping/improving my physical shape.

Workouts

I decided the best plan of action was to do a short fasted (Check out my post on fasted workouts) workout most mornings, the views in the cote d’azur were stunning so jogging was a must but I worked in some crossfit style WOD’s to improve time efficiency and keep my muscles toned. The mornings were the best time to workout as it was still relatively cool and gave me the whole day to do as I pleased. Some examples of my workouts;

• 10 minute run- Stopped by the sea did pushups/lifted rocks and went for a swim (10 minutes) – 10 minute run back to the hotel.
• Warm-up run 5-10 minutes – Circuit of Pushups/ Pullups (on a tree branch)/ jumping squats – Cool down walk back to hotel (10 minutes)
• Run 400m/15 Burpees and 15 Dips (on handrails) repeat 3 times

These were all done fasted with an expresso before hand. On days when my legs were feeling tired I would do the less running based workouts and days I indulged too much the night before I would go for more slow paced running workouts to sweat it out. They also allowed me to take in the beautiful scenery and inhale the fresh sea air, I managed to work out most mornings but on occasions I listened to my body and took a day off.

I also managed to keep active at the beach by playing volley ball, swimming and walking a lot, this definitely helped me keep burning fat and pushed my energy flux up while having fun at the beach.

Motivation

I’ll admit it some morning the last thing I wanted to do was exercise, but sometimes you just got to hit the road, trust me you will always feel better after your done. Here are some great resources for inspiration and motivation to workout:

Zen Habits- Motivation Hacks

Top 7 Exercise motivation Secrets

Sometimes you just have to earn that dinner

Diet

Sticking to a good wholesome diet was not hard in the south of France, in fact if you enjoy good food its pretty simple there was abundance of fresh fruit from the region including amazing local apricots/figs and plums. The diet in France is similar to that of Italy with less of an influence on pasta and pizza.

• Most mornings I would break my fast with provincial fruit and a small piece of local cheese with coffee. This was a perfect breakfast as it kept me light but allowed me to enjoy the local fresh food offerings.
• Lunch would usually be a salad from the region usually a Nicoise which is full of good stuff like olives, anchovies, eggs and tuna. This would be complimented with a glass or two of wine and washed down with an expresso.
• Dinner was when I would usually indulge as I was usually in a social environment and also wanted to enjoy what the restaurants had to offer, this included anything from excellent pizza’s some nights to superb grilled meat and roasted vegetables other nights. Other nights I would enjoy the local/fresh  baguette with a selection of cheese’s and charcuterie with wine which has various benefits or a few beers.
• Snacks would usually be an apple or few apricots.

Dining on holiday should never be a time to deprive yourself, just make good choices enjoy what the culture has to offer and eat well.

Supplements

This was pretty simple I packed some good multi-vitamins and some magnesium citrate and took them daily. Although I didn’t take fish oil I tried to eat oily fish daily which seemed to keep me supple. I also used Vitamin C and Rhodiola Rosea for times I had been out late and drunk a few too many glasses of wine and woke up feeling tired.

Oh and some sun screen!

In a Nut Shell

Doing these simple things allowed me to keep in great shape throughout my holiday while having an awesome time socializing with friends and family, don’t forget this is the most important thing about holidays and it can easily be merged with your lifestyle without depriving yourself of what your surroundings have to offer. In fact I found my healthy habits allowed me to experience and get the most out of the local culture.

How to keep fit while Traveling/Working

Fitness and Nutrition while on Holiday/Travelling harder than we come to expect, staying in shape during these times can be a test of will and dedication. I have picked up the following tips that helped me keep in shape during my busiest periods;

-Eat a light breakfast or fast if you do not exercise that morning. Usually I will get up and get going picking up a black coffee en route followed by some fresh fruit/nuts and cold water. This normally keeps me full until midday time if I haven’t exercised. Plus it keeps me mentally sharp and feeling light. If I do exercise that morning I will have a more substantial breakfast around 1 hour after the workout something along the lines of some eggs/bacon and fruit or a high fiber breakfast like yoghurt, nuts and berries.

-If I go out for a big dinner where I overeat I will normally skip breakfast and just drink water especially if I had substantial fats and red meat in the evening meal. Our bodies are very efficient at conserving proteins and therefore we are fine to cleanse in the morning. This depends of course on how you feel in the morning just listen to your hunger.

–Drink Coffee this stuff is amazing it helps me keep focused whilst giving me a mood boost. Not to mention its health benefits and cleansing properties. Make it black and have it while your on an empty stomach. First thing in the morning is a great time as it will boost your metabolism and get you feeling good for the day.

–Improvise with your workouts; Go for short runs with sprints and jumping squats mixed in, do pull-ups in playgrounds and do loads of pushups (Put some books in a backpack to add weight to these), Use your suitcase as a weight. Keep your workouts short and intense and play as much as you can.

Want a $10 (or less) gym? Buy a used backpack. Now do sets of 10 reps for 3 sets of pushups, pullups, lunges (up a hill), 1 legged squats and put weights/sand/water/books in the backpack. No excuse not to workout, adjust weights as needed….and if you really want some fun, hold the weighted backpack over your head while you lunge up a hill (disclaimer – my version of fun may be different from yours).

– Try to explore by renting bike’s or going for Jog’s if your in a new city.

–Don’t get too tied up with what you eat! often its out of control we need to socialize and that may mean eating pizza, ice cream, cake whatever. Just try to eat wholesome foods 80% of the time and eat what life throws at you for the other 20%. If you feel guilty about eating something DON’T just workout a little bit harder the next day, to burn off the extra glycogen stores you built up. I usually find after an evening of bad eating my will to eat well and exercise is far stronger.

–Enjoy the Fresh Local things. I always find that when traveling the best foods are always things like the local fruits and vegetables or cheese’s so enjoy these things. They are great for you and are something you won’t be able to get again at home.

–Eat when your hungry. I mean really hungry not at a small hunger pang. Stick to whole foods when possible, a great post about this is at the modern forager.

-Take a good Multi-vitamin and and Cod Liver Oil. Also keep Zinc Lozenges (Gluconate) at hand for times when your tired or starting to feel run down. These are essential supplements and are needed to bolster the immune system while traveling.

-If you have a big dinner with drinks (wine/beer) etc and over indulge go for a quick run fasted in the morning, this will help flush the toxins out of your body and burn up last nights food. This is a great time to exercise while traveling as it leaves you with the rest of the day to do what you want.

-Remember to keep your brain fit. When travelling you have less distractions and more time to read. Don’t let this oppurtunity slip, remember;

This time next year the only things that will change are the books you read and the people you meet 

Finally Enjoy the journey have fun, try new things and keep fit. At times it will seem hard to go for a workout or run but you will always feel better afterwards.