Over Christmas and New year I travelled to both Thailand and Australia. This truly was an amazing experience however amongst all this exploring I had to remember to stay fit! Whilst away we were on a very tight schedule. Two huge countries in little over four weeks meant that going to the gym was rather low on the lists of priorities. After all we were going away to experience new things rather than sit in air-conditioned gyms.

Instead of going to the gym every day I found new ways of staying healthy and fit. Here are a few top tips on how to keep fit on holiday…

Food choices

Easier said then done! However it is too easy to slip into a decline of poor food and drink choices but do we really need to? Lucky for me our first destination was Thailand! So as you may or may not know, their dish specialities are all rather healthy. Fish or chicken with either rice or noodles. If you try local dishes, especially in Asia you’re not going to be rolling out of most restaurants. Like at home you should pass on fast or fried food and embrace the culture.

Hire bikes

Whist in both Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Gold Coast (Australia) we rented push bikes to explore the towns we were in. This turned out to be an amazing idea, but pretty scary at the same time (especially in Thailand!). Riding bikes meant we both got an amazing tan whilst exploring more of the area we were in for a fraction of the price you’d pay to ride in a cab.

Running

If you love your early morning runs then keep these up! I am very proud to say that I ran in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket (very hilly), Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Surfers Paradise (along the Gold Coast which was my favourite)! When running you can escape the main roads a lot more, its free and you meet a lot of like minded people on the way who always wave or smile. Running also enables you to explore and discover more areas of where you’re staying as well as small local shops or even amazing street art. None of which are on any tourist maps! 

Do some yoga

Whilst away we chose to take some yoga classes at the Amatara Wellness Resort (we were here over Christmas). This meant that I could keep up my flexibility whilst making it part of the holiday. In fact the backdrop to where the classes were held were some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen and I would never have been able to enjoy them without booking onto a yoga class.

Walk more

This one is a bit of a no brainer. Just walk more! When you’re on holiday, the weather is good and you’re not normally in a rush so why not take a stroll through the town or along the beach. Don’t waste your spending money on taxis!

Swim

One of the best known types of exercise out there. Swimming is an amazing cardio vascular workout. When you’re staying in a hotel with a big pool, make the most of it! And always take up the chance to snorkel or scuba dive, you’d be amazed how long you’ll swim for out there when its so beautiful and colourful.

Body weight training in your room

Do press ups, sits ups and tricep dips in your room. Keep it simple and just rep it out. I would complete these types of exercise whilst waiting for my partner to finish getting ready in the bathroom. This way it takes up no extra time in your day and it can keep “Are you ready yet?” nags to a minimum. Great tip for avoiding arguments there guys…

Find an actual gym

If all else fails, go to a gym. If you’re visiting Australia, your nearest gym wont be far away! A lot of the appartment blocks have gyms in them too! I was lucky to stumble over a World Gym whilst staying in the Gold Coast so when I woke up at stupid o’clock in the morning, I would sneak off to the gym for an hour to keep my upper body muscles charged and worked out. 

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Do you have any top tips on how to keep fit on holiday?