How to stay active while on holiday (a non-conventional guide)

If you do a quick Google search for "How to stay active while travelling" (like I did when I started writing this blog post), you will find heaps and heaps of advice. Most of it sounds like: "Pack your workout gear", "Explore local gyms", "Schedule your workouts", "Plan ahead", "Try online or bodyweight exercises", "Prioritise your training", "Stick to your routine", "Choose exercises you can do anywhere, like running", "Bring supplements", "Cook your own meals", "Plan most of your meals", "Indulge, but don't overindulge", "Keep an eye on your diet", and so on and so on. (Yes, these are real quotes from articles I found.)

Sometimes, the advice sounds like: "The hustle doesn't stop just because you're on holiday", "No excuses", "Keep grinding", "Discipline over motivation". (Please make it stop.)

Often, it comes with the connotation that we will "lose all our progress" or "have to start over" if we don't stick to our exercise routine while on holiday.

I am here to call bullsh*t. And to give you just ONE piece of advice.

Reframe how you think about movement.

Do you think it has to be going to the gym, so you only book hotels that have a 24-hour fitness centre? Do you think it has to be going for a run, so you keep running, even in places with no sidewalks, intense heat, or where running may not be safe or culturally appropriate? Do you think movement has to be done for at least 30 or 45 minutes, so you skip a once-in-a-lifetime day trip just to squeeze in a structured workout that day? Do you feel guilty for "missing a day", even though you've been on your feet exploring for hours?

What if we let that go?

Instead, can we start thinking of movement as something flexible, and something that often happens naturally without us needing to plan it? Walking through a new neighbourhood. Splashing around in the sea. Dancing the night away. Hiking up to a beautiful lookout. Cycling through the vineyards. Climbing castle stairs. Chasing your kids around a beach or park.

All of that counts. All of that matters. All of that is movement.

Be flexible—your routine doesn't need to be rigid, and you absolutely don't have to maintain the same activity levels or types when you're away (unless you're training for something specific, and even then, it's OK to adapt).

So I say: try the local food. Try the local drinks. Don't schedule your holiday around training. Prioritise rest, relaxation, and recovery. Try new things. And move in ways that bring you joy and that fit with your holiday plans—not the other way around.

Also, let's be honest, most of us don't have the luxury of travelling for months and months at a time. So no, you won't lose your progress or have to start over after a one- or two-week holiday. Instead, make the most of being in a new place and, maybe, in a different routine.

That's all for now—thank you for being here and for making a commitment to make movement spaces more inclusive for all bodies!

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