Nine ways to stay fit on holiday

Personal trainer Martin Ebner’s guide to staying in shape in the sunshine. Read on for his top fitness tips.
 

1. Rise and run

By exercising first thing, you’re far less likely to skip it altogether. One of the hardest parts of exercising on holiday is motivation. By delaying your workout to later in the day, you risk choosing G&T’s and guilt over exercise.
 

2. Find your sea legs

The sea offers an abundance of excellent ways to keep fit: swimming, kayaking, surfing, snorkelling, wind surfing, water skiing, diving, hell, even hopping on the banana boat will help burn off a few calories.
 

3. Skip dessert

By digging into a second serving of that double chocolate sundae, you may well return home twice the person you were before you left. If you simply can’t resist the sweet stuff, split a dessert with your other half, do dessert every other night or opt for the fruit salad.
 

4. Go for active exploration

What better way to explore your new surroundings than by using your legs and lungs? Bike shops, hotels and tour companies all offer cheap bicycle rental at holiday destinations. Failing that, strap on some comfy shoes and get pavement pounding. You’ll burn up to 500 calories per hour walking briskly – and it’s free. Win win.
 

5. Forego the fries

Where possible, chose baked, steamed or boiled foods over fried. You’ll not only enjoy a heartburn free holiday, you’ll also save up to 450 calories and 50g fat per meal. Enough said.
 

6. Hit the gym

Hotel gyms are no longer made up of dusty cross-trainers and rusty weights. With the global fitness trend, hotels now cater to even the most enthusiastic of #gymrats. For a quick, effective session on the treadmill, try my simple HIIT workout: 60 second sprint, followed by 60 - 90 seconds active rest (walking/jogging). Repeat 5-8 times then you can get back to the sunlounger.
 

7. Book a local PT

With the global fitness trend, personal trainers are now more affordable than ever. By bringing a pre-paid standing appointment to the table, you’re far less likely to cancel. And you never know, you might just get into an exercise routine you can take home as a souvenir.
 

8. Curb the boozing

It’s inevitable that you’re going to have a drink or two and rightly so, you are on holiday after all. If however, you’ve got a tendency to go overboard, try minimising the damage by a) sticking to clear spirits - vodka and gin have fewer toxins and impurities than dark ones like whisky and rum - and b) having a glass of water for every alcoholic drink - by doing so, you will slow down alcohol consumption and reduce your chances of waking up to a stinking hangover.
 

9. Choose a buffer breakfast

As tempted as you may be to tuck into a bowl of sugar-drenched granola followed by a full fry-up, try to rein it in at the breakfast buffet. Opt for unsweetened cereal, poached or boiled eggs and a portion of fruit. By kick starting your day off right you’re physiologically more likely to follow suit for the rest of the day.