Ahh, holidays, we all deserve them and we sure need them. Some might say that holidays are what keep us sane during this extremely work-filled life we all live in and this would certainly be the case as holidays are the periods when we can truly relax and even let ourselves go a bit…
This being the case, it is not uncommon for many of us to return from a vacation in worse shape than before we started.
In fact, this, as many would agree, is a fairly common occurrence but does it have to be this way? Surely there must be a way to maintain our physiques whilst still making the most of our holidays? I’m glad to say that there is and I’m going to explain how.
Keep on reading to find out how to stay in shape on vacation with calisthenics!
Monitor your alcohol intake
Considering you are on holiday and cutting out alcohol probably isn’t an option, I would strongly suggest that you try not to go overboard if you want to maintain your physique. As hard as it may be, this is first on the list for a reason.
Alcohol is very hard on the body and too much of it can harm your physique. For example, alcohol may encourage bad eating habits that could lead to weight gain. In addition to that, alcohol lowers protein synthesis and may heighten protein breakdown, which will harm any potential muscle growth.
As harmful as alcohol can be, it is most harmful in high amounts. Try and moderate your drinking during your holiday if you truly wish to maintain your physique.
Keep on the move to shape on vacation with calisthenics!
When it comes to physique maintenance, nothing competes with consistency! Listen, just because you’re on holiday, that doesn’t mean you cannot continue working out.
So, that being said, allow me to list a few suitable calisthenics-based workouts you can do on your holiday!
- Muscle-ups. You don’t need to be an expert on calisthenics to have heard of this very well-known exercise! Perhaps the greatest things about this exercise aside from its ability to work numerous muscle groups are the fact that you can do them anywhere! Whether it’s on a pull-up bar, railing/gate and/or a tree branch, you can do muscle-ups anywhere.
- Pushups. Pushups are perhaps the most versatile form of calisthenics you can do. All you will need for this exercise is the floor! This being the case, there is literally no excuse for not doing them. Whether you are out for a meal, out on a walk or at your home relaxing, pushups can be done whenever you desire!
- Plank. Requiring no equipment at all, the plank, like the previous exercise requires nothing but the floor! While this exercise does not build muscle, in terms of muscle maintenance, the plank is an excellent choice. It will help to maintain your core strength and stability which will further help prevent losing your strength over the course of your holiday.
There you have it! Three fantastic workouts will surely help maintain your physique over the course of your holiday.
Optimise your protein intake
One thing that many might neglect on their vacation is their diet. However, make no mistake, when it comes to growing and maintaining your physique, what you eat and how consistently you do so is key.
In this area, your protein intake is the key player. As you probably know, protein is extremely important for growth. It contains the key amino acids needed to formulate new muscle tissue.
As you might not have known, protein plays an essential role in the maintenance of muscle tissue and it plays a huge role in reducing muscle breakdown. To further reduce the potential damages of a fantastic holiday, try your best to optimise your protein intake, your body will thank you for it when you get back.
Ensure adequate sleep shape on vacation
Since holidays don’t come around too often, many of us tend to sleep a little as possible during our time away. Sometimes it is intentional and sometimes it isn’t. Regardless of your intentions, sleep is incredibly important for the maintenance of a solid physique, here’s why.
First things first, sleep helps regulate your metabolic rate. This helps to ensure that you are burning calories at an optimal rate, which, in turn, helps you stay lean. Secondly, sleep helps prevent muscle breakdown. Essentially, muscle breakdown is the wasting away of muscle tissue; I don’t need to tell you why this is important…
To help maintain your physique while on vacation, try to get roughly 7-9 hours of good quality sleep a night.