The ultimate holiday fitness plan: from planks to jogging on the beach, how to keep trim in the sun

Summer holidays are here. A chance to escape the daily grind, an opportunity to travel on adventures for many. But how often do we come back feeling more tired than when we left? More and more people are realising that holidays can be a time to recharge the proverbial batteries, to rest and recover. Or perhaps that depends on your age.

No matter your age, there’s ways of making holidays energy-giving, rather than energy-sapping.The type of holiday you go on will obviously affect how rested you feel as a result. If you’re on a weekend city-break with a full itinerary of eating, drinking and sightseeing, chances are you’ll come home exhausted. Having had a great time, but perhaps also a little fatigued.

Not everyone wants to go on a yoga retreat, but a bit of forward planning with your itinerary will mean you can see what you want, as well as have some downtime. Do you really need to visit all the sights mentioned on Instagram? Could you see less, but enjoy it more?

Tracy Griffen says cycling is a great activity to build into a holiday

Before you even leave, set yourself up for a healthy holiday by packing well. A washable water bottle is a must. Even though you can’t take liquids through airport security, you can take an empty bottle and top it up from a drinking fountain on the other side. Saves money too. And having your own water bottle reminds you to stay hydrated. Pack running (or walking) gear. Thankfully current fashion says it’s OK to wear trainers pretty much everywhere, so include sports shoes that can double up as a casual option. Pack a sports bra, shorts and an exercise top, and you can workout anywhere. The best piece of equipment to take travelling is a Pilates resistance band – it weighs just a few grams and you can do a whole host of strength and flexibility exercises with it.

Other packing ideas include: a swimming costume, travel towel (always in my hand luggage), cycling gear, favourite healthy workout snacks/carb gels, herbal tea bags, antibac, yoga belt and small Bluetooth speaker for tunes.

Incorporate movement into your itinerary: Plan activities that involve some physical exertion – walking tours, hiring CityBikes, or even swimming in a local pool are interesting ways of immersing yourself in new surroundings. You’ll also feel better for it, especially if you’ve been sitting for extended times in transit. Enjoy stretching your legs.

Morning Jog: It’s essential to get your bearings when you first arrive. A morning jog (or fast walk) is a fab way to do this. If you’re staying near a beach, you can check it out before it gets busy. A jog is also a good way to find out interesting places to visit later in the day. Getting lost is part of the adventure (take your phone and your address written down, just in case).

Running on the beach is great for ankle stability

Beach exercises: Walking on soft sand is excellent for leg strength and balance. You can walk up a beach on the soft sand, then back the other way in ankle deep water. Walking through shallow water is great to tone your legs, so enjoy kicking and splashing in the sea.

A travelling strength workout: Bodyweight strength exercises are brilliant for travel. You can do press ups, tricep dips, squats, lunges and many other exercises with no equipment. Try an outdoor strength workout, or a ten minute workout to start your day. It looks like this:Use your phone as a stopwatch, grab a glass of water and clear some space. Start stop watch and do each exercise for a minute. As many good quality reps as possible. Aim to do the ten exercises back to back without stopping the clock.

1. Jog on the spot2. Press ups3. Tricep dips4. Star jumps5. Squat6. Striding lunges7. Jog on the spot8. Sit ups9. Abdominal roll down10. Plank

Eat Well: Enjoy a good breakfast, perhaps with local fruit. Eating good food early in the day, whether you’re self-catering or eating out, will mean you have energy for exploring all day. It’ll also mean if you’re indulging in a wee tipple you’ll not be on an empty tummy.

Indulge less, experience more: Speaking of indulging, some mini-breaks may revolve around local hospitality and drinking the night away. But the more night life you enjoy, the less of the morning you get to see. It is possible to go on holiday teetotal (see ‘morning jog’ above), and it’s a great way to try on new healthy habits. If you really want to recharge during your holidays, 2am pina coladas may not be the answer. It if you find yourself out late and slightly sozzled, do hit the dance floor. And then drink lots of water.

Hydrate: An easy way to improve your energy levels. If the local water is no good, make sure you have a good supply of bottled . I like to take my own herbal teas on holidays, my husband takes his Yorkshire tea and we’re happy. An old travel habit of mine is to pack Berocca – it can give you a boost on a long day of museum-hopping.

Catch up on Zzz’s: If your holiday is to offer you rest and respite from a hectic working life, be sure to factor in enough time to rest. Take ear plugs and a sleep mask and let yourself sleep in. Afternoon naps are also a valid holiday pastime.

Go on Retreat: Not everyone’s cup of matcha tea, but spending a holiday doing effectively nothing is a surefire way to recharge your batteries, especially if they’re running close to empty. You don’t need to go to a fancy spa, in fact a favourite summer holiday of mine is to hire a cabin beside a loch and walk, run, read, eat and sleep, on repeat. It might not hit the Instagram highs of a city break, but when it comes to relaxing, being away from the hustle and bustle of a city is just the ticket. Bonus points for adding in a cold water loch swim or yoga on the grass.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, remember how lucky you are to get to go on holiday. Enjoy the break, even if you’re just having a summer break at home. If you choose to stay local for summer, explore somewhere new on foot or by bike. Top up your Vitamin D levels and head somewhere green (or blue, cycling to a coast is always good). Happy holidays!Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen runs a private fitness studio next to the Balfour Street tram stop, specialising in tailoring exercise programmes to the individual. She helps people prepare for adventure holidays and teaches fitness to those who are always on-the-go. The author of two books, Tracy can be contacted directly on 07743 741 088 or visit www.griffenfitness.com for more information.