While the idea of lazing around on a sun-kissed beach, by the pool (cocktail in hand, naturally) or strolling gently around a city sounds like the perfect break for many, it doesn’t apply to all holiday makers.
There are plenty of you that like to get out there and enjoy a more active holiday, pushing your mind and body to the limit, whether that’s in the water, up a mountain, in the desert, or just on a hillside in Derbyshire (other counties are available). Wherever you find yourself, there’s a great range of holiday activities you could be doing. Here are some of the best you could be doing while you’re away, especially if you want to offset the evening’s culinary and alcoholic extravagances (you are on holiday, after all).
Skiing
Skiing is the classic activity holiday. While gravity does a lot of the work, your legs and your …core are still taking plenty of strain and you’re certain to feel it the next day if you haven’t prepared yourself properly. As well as being fantastic exercise, it’s also brilliant for adrenaline junkies offering thrills, spills and everything in-between, while the high-speed action is interspersed with some absolutely stunning mountain-top views too.
It’s not all go, either as most resorts will have some fairly incredible aprés-ski entertainment on offer, meaning you can party into the night once you’re done on the slopes.
While the mountains are often being used by skiers in the winter, once the snows melt in the spri…ng, they very quickly become the preserve of the cyclists. Whether you take your own machine by car down to the Alps or the Pyrenees or hire one when you get there, the winding mountain routes offer challenges that you just won’t get (well, not to the same extent anyway) here in Blighty.
This is a great trip to take with friends – helping each other out up the hills and letting gravity take over on the thrill-a-minute descents before enjoying one-another’s company in the evening. Once again, it’s not all about the cycling, because once you’ve managed to make it all the way to the top of the mountain, you could be in for some fairly astonishing views as well.
Mountain Biking
If road cycling isn’t for you, then how about taking the bike off road? Whether you take on some …of the fantastic mountain biking trails you can find here in the UK or you fancy going further afield, mountain biking is absolutely fantastic exercise. As well as all the leg-pumping action, you also need to work your core hard to maintain your balance on rocky terrain, making it a fantastic whole-body workout.
Add to this the peril of maybe falling off (don’t forget your helmet!) and the likelihood of getting a little muckier than if you were cycling on the road and you’re bound to burn the calories and have a holiday to remember at the same time. Another activity that’s perfect for a group of you to enjoy, before heading back to where you’re staying to recover with hearty food and drink!
Another classic holiday activity, but not one for the faint-hearted. Climbing is outstanding exer…cise for the whole body, working your arms, legs and core to the max. Before you start climbing out in the wild, however, it’s best to be a pretty competent climber already as any mistake you make on a mountain or cliffside will likely have greater effects than climbing at your local Everyone Active climbing wall. This is another reason why you should always climb as a group, either as friends or with an organised group of strangers, to ensure you’re both safe and having fun at the same time.
Regardless, climbing is a great way to experience thrills and stay active out in the wilds, whether that’s here in the UK or further afield and there are all sorts of organised climbing tours that can take you on routes that will suit your ability, from easier climbs to more challenging ones. You can also choose whether you want to camp out, or head back to some more permanent accommodation after your day’s climbing.
Hiking
A slightly gentler, but just as rewarding activity holiday, there are loads of hiking trails that… are ideal for walkers of all ages and abilities both here in the UK and abroad. While the exercise element of a hiking holiday may not be quite as intense as cycling, climbing or mountain biking, walking several miles a day is no picnic (although we do suggest taking a picnic along with you occasionally). Breath-taking views, a great sense of achievement and great exercise – these are just a few of the advantages of taking a hiking holiday.
Meanwhile, you also get to get away from it all; the hustle and bustle of modern life, the bombardment of emails, traffic noise and just enjoy the fresh air and nature. You can either camp, taking all your equipment with you (and seeking out places that will allow you to camp, or official campsites on the way) or stay in more permanent accommodation, which is perhaps the less hardcore option!
So if you want to stay active while on holiday, why not give any one of these options a go? They’re all great fun, relaxing in their own way but still proper exercise to help keep that adrenaline flowing and slake that thirst for adventure, even when you’re on holiday.
12% off Travel Luggage & Cabin Bags
Before you go away on any of these adventures, you’ll need to get your luggage sorted. For all your luggage needs, check out Travel Luggage & Cabin Bags, where Everyone Active members will enjoy a 12% discount as part of our exclusive member benefits scheme. Sign up now to discover the fantastic range of other member benefits that all Everyone Active members can enjoy.