KARINA'S TOP TIPS TO STAYING FIT ON HOLIDAY

Well, it’s that time of the year! Where I am, it’s getting cold, the days are getting shorter and we’re spending more time indoors. All of my friends and customers in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying the start of a beautiful Summer and making the most of it by travelling to amazing, sunny locations and making me very jealous! So, usually, that means it’s time to take a holiday!

Life has been quite crazy over the past 12 months – with Moana Bikini and Bikini Body Burn growing very quickly and taking up lots of time and brain space – so I really take pleasure in the moments where I am able to switch off and escape to somewhere warm, sunny and beautiful… even if it’s just for a few days. It’s so important to take time for yourself and press the reset button!

I am very committed to my training regime, however, so adding a holiday into the mix can often be quite distracting and throw my routine out, which, at times, can be quite detrimental to any progress I have made, or am making. Because of this, I always make sure to remind myself of a couple of points before, during and after my holiday, to ensure that I’m confident in my training and body and that I allow myself to have fun and enjoy my trip.

I want to share this advice with you, because I think it will make any holidays you might have planned much more enjoyable and ensure that you don’t skip a beat in your training and progress!

Use it as motivation
In the lead up to holidays, I usually have the knowledge that I will probably be eating outside of my normal nutrition guidelines, and not training as much, if at all, whilst away. Looked at negatively, this can be really upsetting and worrying! But I always try to turn negatives into positives, so I use this knowledge as motivation. “Gotta get that holiday-body!” is something I find myself saying in my head throughout some of the tougher training sessions I put myself through in the lead-up to a trip. I try to train the house down, because I know I might not have that chance, or desire, while away.

Not only that, but I rigidly stick to good, healthy nutrition and eating exactly what I should be for more personal goals, because I know that there are always some cheeky temptations on holidays that are too hard to resist. And, after all, you’re on holidays… so why not!? Sometimes the knowledge that you won’t be training, or have the opportunity to train, is all you need to be motivated to train harder. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone! Use that trip as motivation!

Give yourself a break!
You’re on a holiday for a reason, right!? You’ve worked so hard for so long that it was time to take a break… so actually take one! Just remember, a week or two out of your normal schedule isn’t going to set you back to square one! Remember, being fit and healthy is a lifestyle choice – not a chore. So, basically, don’t be afraid to relax. After all, that’s what you’re there for! However, if you have the problem of feeling guilty for missing training sessions or eating TOO naughtily (like I do sometimes!), then…

Incorporate your training into your holiday I don’t want you to think that you have to set aside an hour a day to smash out your standard routine, far from it! You’re on holidays, no doubt in some kind of idyllic location, so you have to make sure you enjoy it… but if you want to do some training, why not utilise your surroundings for your own benefit!?

Let me give you some examples based on one of my most recent trips. The island itself was fringed by beautiful tropical beaches and palm trees, with a nice path the entire way around. Two laps around the island was a beautiful, refreshing and invigorating 6km run! An awesome hit of cardio. One side of the island had an impeccably calm, clear and pristine lagoon, with a gorgeous coral reef, teeming with sea life and some amazing, deep blue holes. A swim from one end to the other was 1km! A great full body workout.

Our overwater bungalows were positioned in the lagoon, surrounding by seagrass beds that were home to turtles, fish and reef sharks. A stand-up paddle board around all of the bungalows and back was 1km! A surprisingly intense upper body and core workout!

Don’t punish yourself When you get back, don’t jump straight back into the same intensity as before you left; but make sure you do go back as you don’t want to break your healthy habits! Remember, you earned and deserved that holiday, so there’s no need to punish yourself. Warm back up into your training at a comfortable pace, before you know it, you’ll be smashing your goals all over again, aiming to be back to your normal training intensity within a fortnight.

EVERYONE deserves a break, so make sure you plan one soon! It’s always such a good feeling know that you have an exciting getaway planned, even if it’s just a long weekend away. A holiday here and there helps to revitalise you, mind and body, and will make sure you’re on the path to being the best version of yourself you can be. I’m already trying to plan my next adventure! Where’s yours going to be!?