How I stayed Fit on Holiday
Posted on 23 August 2008
After my recent guest post on staying fit while traveling or working I had to put it to good use whilst holidaying in the south of France, I indulged in wine, good real food and the french Riviera lifestyle, whilst getting leaner in the process.
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 working. 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 espresso 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. This 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. This was a personal choice though I find that I just ‘don’t feel right‘ unless I get some physical activity in for the day.
I also managed to keep active at the beach by playing beach 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:
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 eat some 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 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!
Summing up
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.
Comment by Tom Parker
23 August 2008
Hey Chris,
I found your blog through Rusty (from the Fitness Black Book) and have been enjoying reading your articles. I haven’t been on a holiday abroad but you have some great tips here. Particularly, agree with you on the exercise front. Getting some activity in during the mornings gets you prepared for the day and ensure that you don’t waste large portions of your holiday being lethargic and doing nothing.
Comment by Keith Norris
24 August 2008
Dang, Chris — I’m jealous! It’s been 20 years since I was in France. Far too long for having not gone back. I’d really like to put these wonderful tips to the test ASAP. Can you write an article on how to convince American companies to follow the European vacation model?
Keith
Comment by Lance
24 August 2008
Nice post. I have dabbled with the Crossfit workouts - they are a nice variety to what I normally do. I’d like to try them on a more long term basis, but just haven’t made the commitment yet. Have you done a lot of their WOD’s?
Sounds like a fun time with friends, and that’s what important. Well, and maintaining your exercise program - I like your beach workout!
Comment by Chris
24 August 2008
@ Keith. Holidaying in the France is amazing the lifestyle is so simple and relaxed and food is great! I suggest you book your next holiday for the cote d’azur you won’t regret it. In the mean time I will write an open letter to American organizations!
@ Lance. I went through a two month period about a year ago when I did the WOD almost religiously and while the benefits are great it ended up being too constrictive an exercise plan, I just prefer some more flexibility, to keep fit in my own time with my own creativity….
Comment by Dan
25 August 2008
Great post Chris! Found your site through Mark’s DA, and have found your style very inspiring. This post hit home as I was in France last summer and was blown away by the food and culture. It’s really not hard to understand the “paradox” after you spend any amount of time in the country, as they truly hold food on a whole other level then us Americans. Plus they seem to just really enjoy life and play hard.
@Keith: I was always hoping for the same thing, and then my company totally shocked me by giving us 25 days of holiday! I’m so stoked…now I just need to find the funds
Keep up the great blog Chris, truly inspiring!
Comment by Grace
26 August 2008
You inspire me, Chris! I not only felt encouraged by your description of actually having FUN while being GOOD (a definite oxymoron) but the descriptions were luscious, as well. More, please! G.