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For many people, a holiday means completely disconnecting from their responsibilities for a while – including their fitness goals and standards. It’s also common to feel frustration about neglecting fitness while on holiday.
If you’re determined not to interrupt your pursuit of staying in shape, though, there are plenty of fantastic ways to spend a break within easy reach of the UK that will keep you focused on the thrill and challenge of physical activity.
Hiking in the Pyrenees
Mountain hiking is a great way to develop your strength, endurance and cardiovascular health, and the stunning Pyrenees, which straddle the border of France and Spain, are an incredible place to explore.
The great thing about hiking is that there’s such a low barrier to entry. All you need is some basic gear to take care of yourself and to research routes that fit your level of experience, and it’s something that you can do either alone or with friends and family as long as you’re all up for the same degree of challenge. You’ll find a good variety of trail difficulties on both sides of the Pyrenees.
Cycling tours of Italy
Europe is home to a variety of great destinations for bike enthusiasts but Italy might just be the best of them. From the picturesque fields of Tuscany to the imposing mountains and valleys of the Dolomites, it offers a little bit of everything.
Cycling combines physical exertion with cultural exploration, both at your own pace and intensity. Even better, the country is so used to two-wheeled tourism that you can find cycling tours of Italy that offer guided experiences, helping you make the most of your time and introducing you to the area’s best-kept secrets known only to local experts.
Centre yourself with yoga in Scandinavia
A fitness-focused holiday doesn’t have to mean you’re a sweaty mess at the end of the day. Scandinavian nations like Sweden are often ranked amongst the happiest in the world, so what better place to pursue contentment at a yoga retreat?
Yoga’s combination of gentle but firm physical exercise with mindful self-awareness is nourishing to both body and soul. At a dedicated retreat, you’ll explore guided meditation and holistic wellness practices under the care of experts while meeting like-minded people and expanding your worldview. Being surrounded by the gorgeous forests and lakes of Scandinavia only adds to the serenity.
Surfing the Portuguese coast
If you’re looking for something higher-octane, a surfing holiday is hard to beat – and Portugal is renowned among wave-riders everywhere. Regions like the Algarve are home to a host of dedicated surfing schools and retreats which cater to all levels of skill and experience so, if you’ve always dreamed of learning, you can get all the guidance you need. It’s not uncommon for such programmes to incorporate elements of yoga and other wellness techniques into their schedules, either, so you’ll get a healthy mix of stimuli for body and mind.
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