No more fly and flop holidays
INCREASINGLY, VACATIONERS ARE USING THEIR TIME OFF TO RAMP UP EXERCISE, RATHER THAN LIVE IT UP AND COME BACK FATTER
Anew study that has found a third of us now exercise two or more times a week while on holiday, it would appear that I’m the unusual one. The researchers found that, far from winding down on a sun lounger with a good book, the “fly and flop” holidays previously favoured by the British are a thing of the past, and that they are in fact more likely to ramp up their activity levels by 12 per cent while away.
“People used to come back from their holidays a little bit fatter, but now they’re coming back a little bit fitter,” says personal trainer Harry Jameson, who works with A-listers including Freida Pinto and is founder of the Jameson Retreats, health and fitness holidays that have taken place in locations from the Maldives to Dubai.
When I asked my husband Dan why he didn’t let up his fitness regime (which is already fairly good back home) on his vacation, he said, “The biggest restriction for exercising back home is not having enough time because of work and looking after the kids. On holiday, you have a lot more spare time. Plus, cycling in the Greek hills at sunset is a lot better than cycling behind a bus on your way to the office.”
“In the last five years or so, there’s been this shift towards wellness on holiday,” says Jameson. “Traditionally, those in their 30s and 40s only got two weeks off a year and wanted to spend those two weeks slumped on a sun lounger eating and drinking more than they did back home. That’s no longer the case and I’m finding clients often use their holidays as a chance to kick-start a healthier eating or fitness programme.
“After all, one of the biggest reasons I hear for not being healthy is a lack of time — people who work long hours in offices, or who travel a lot for business, find it hard to find time to exercise. But on holiday you have more time, and clients tell me a hotel or resort’s wellness offering is often one of the first things they look at. So while hotels used to proudly boast about their swim-up pool bars, now they boast about their gyms, in-house trainers or the fantastic landscapes that lend themselves to hiking, biking or running trails.
“It’s the same with food — breakfast buffets offering cold cuts and fried eggs are slowly being replaced with ones offering poached eggs, avocados, milk alternatives and green juices.”
And it’s not just holidaymakers working out on regular holidays: the number of fitness specific trips is rising steadily. One travel agency hosted its first retreat this May in Mykonos, in Greece, long known as a party city, where early morning HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions, meditation and yoga were the order of the day, rather than afternoon beverage sessions.
“I wanted a kick up the body to get fitter and more in tune with [health] in a beautiful environment,” explains Patricia Tsouros, a 57-year-old art adviser and writer for whom the retreat was her first “healthy holiday”.
“I’d never been on one before,” agrees Trang Luu, a 28-year-old finance worker, “but wanted to see what it was like.”
The “fit travel” trend now extends to soon-to-be brides, too: healthy hen parties have grown in popularity in recent years, with companies introducing such breaks after noticing a surge in inquiries from brides-to-be in their 20s and 30s wanting to swap the traditional hen parties of heavy food and indulgence for Pilates, hiking, yoga and surfing.
“Studies show 20-somethings are cutting down on poor lifestyle habits more than the generation before, and they’re increasingly interested in wellness at home — largely thanks to Instagram — and on holiday too,” says Jameson.
“Take Ibiza, for example, which used to be associated with clubbing and all-night partying and is now largely known for its yoga retreats. The travel industry is changing to accommodate our everincreasing awareness of health and well-being.”
Studies show 20-somethings are cutting down on poor lifestyle habits more than the generation before, and they’re increasingly interested in wellness at home and on holiday too.”
Harry Jameson | Personal trainer
The ‘fit travel’ trend now extends to soon-to-be brides, too: healthy hen parties have grown in popularity in recent years, with companies introducing such breaks after noticing a surge in inquiries.