Beach exercises - get fit on your getaway

While our minds may need a rest from the stress of daily life on holiday, our bodies are screaming out for a break from sitting in that office chair. Try these beach exercises and the only extra weight you'll be bringing back from holiday is some tacky souvenirs...

Why is it that when most of us go on our holidays we turn into complete slobs?

Take a look around any pool or beach the next time you're away and you'll see for yourself exactly what I mean; people spend endless hours lying on their fronts, backs and sides in order to develop their holiday tans, but rarely, if ever, spend any of their time on their feet or moving around. No wonder so many people put on so much weight on holiday!

I know what you're thinking: "I'm on holiday, I'm supposed to be relaxing!" but let's be honest, after what exertion are you relaxing?

For most people their average day in the UK goes something like this:

Eight hours sleeping – lying down, minimal movement
One hour getting ready for work – shower, sit down and eat, watch a bit of TV
One hour travelling to work – bus, tube, car; mostly sitting
Eight hours at work – mostly sitting
One hour at lunch – walk to pub, restaurant or café; sit down and eat
One hour travelling home
Three-and-a-half hours watching TV (or go out to eat or drink); in either case, sitting down.

This adds up to a staggering 23½ hours where physical activity is almost non-existent!

So again, what do you think you're actually relaxing from? Granted, modern life can be very stressful psychologically, but physically our bodies are screaming out, begging even, for activity… and we're not listening!

Believe it or not, your summer holiday is the perfect time for you to get more active. With the stress of work removed from the picture and plenty of free time on your hands you could be making a huge impact on your health, fitness and waistline and, what's more, it'll make your holiday more memorable, too.

Now, I'm not saying that every minute of every day should be spent on active pursuits, but with just a little effort, even 10 minutes out of each hour spent being active, you can get great results. And there's so much choice available to you, too!

Fancy a swim?
A fantastic whole-body workout with strength, flexibility and cardiovascular benefits, swimming burns around 9.5 kcal per minute for the average 9-stone woman (more if you weigh more), meaning that 10 minutes of comfortably paced breast stroke will burn nearly 100 calories. Want to burn more? Go faster or stay in the water for longer!

What about basketball?
Many hotel complexes have basketball courts and even organise mini-leagues during your stay. Even if you're not competitive or much of a mixer, you can still develop a great pair of legs, and get a great CV workout from having a little one-on-one (I mean on the court!). You'll be burning around 8.7 kcal for every minute and you won't even think of it as exercise, as your focus will be on the ball, not on yourself.

Beach football
If you fancy a bit of a kickaround with your friends, then beach footy is not only good for a laugh, but great for developing a firm set of pins and a bum to die for. The uneven surface of the sand will make your legs work like never before and definitely engage your glutes to the max. Expect to burn in excess of 9 kcal per minute with this exercise.

Frisbee
An oldie but goodie, the frisbee seems to be the perfect holiday activity for many people. Even if you've not frisbeed for years, as soon as one of these things comes out everyone gets on their feet. They're kinda hypnotic, I guess! Exercising everything from legs, waist, arms and shoulders, the frisbee is a good all-round activity that'll burn around 6 kcal per minute at lower intensities. Not bad for a lower-level exercise!

Out and about on two wheels
There's no better way to see a bit more of the place where you're staying than to get on two wheels and go for a spin. Cycling allows you to cover large areas in a short time and get a great workout for your heart, lungs and legs, burning anything from 5–12 kcal per minute, depending upon how hard you go.

Scuba
Fancy something a little more adventurous? Budding Jacques Cousteaus can get to see a completely different view of the world by taking to the water and exploring the world beneath the waves. Not only will the experience be fantastic, but you'll also be burning 12+ kcal a minute while you're down there!

Snorkelling
If the deep's not your thing, you can still enjoy what nature has to offer underwater by snorkelling your way around the shallows. There'll still be plenty to see (especially in the tropics) and you'll be burning off over 6 kcal a minute.

Volleyball
Top up your tan in those hard-to-reach bits and get fit at the same time! Volleyball is great fun and a fantastic workout for arms, legs and core muscles. What's more, you'll be burning more than 9 kcal a minute if you play it with moderate intensity.

Dancing
If all else fails to impress or motivate you, get your glad rags on and go out for a boogie! Depending on how you dance, you'll be burning anything from 5-15 kcal a minute and getting a great workout for your whole body.

So you see, adding a little activity to your holiday doesn't have to become an all-consuming bore or chore. In many respects, activity is a natural extension of all the things we want from our holidays, yet rarely ever get around to doing.

This year, why not make the effort to do something. Anything. You'll be so glad you did when you come home both looking and feeling great and raring to go. And when someone asks, 'What did you do on holiday?' you'll actually have something interesting to talk about.

Check out our Ultimate Bikini Body Guide for more tips to get you beach body gorgeous

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