Tips for an Active Holiday: Combine Relaxation with Exercise

For many of us, a holiday is one of the highlights of the year, often meticulously planned months or at least weeks in advance. This ensures everything is ready on the day of departure, allowing us to focus solely on relaxation. While some people equate relaxation with lying on a beach and indulging in all-you-can-eat buffets, others have a much more active idea of a holiday.

If you belong to the latter group and the thought of spending a week or two doing nothing but eating and lounging under a palm tree fills you with dread, this article is for you. We’ll look at some intriguing tips for an active holiday that combines movement with relaxation.

Discover a World of Possibilities

Before you settle on a specific active holiday plan, it’s good to know all the options available. Long gone are the days when this meant planning everything yourself. You can easily turn to travel agencies that offer a variety of interesting or adventure trips. Adventurers can choose from activities like via ferrata routes, international mountain hiking, week-long cycling trips, rafting, or various river paddles.

You can have even more fun by organising a trip with friends, bringing your bikes, and setting off on a week-long journey exploring nature. Alternatively, you can opt for a more modest approach and find a location nearby where you can engage in various activities. Nearby reservoirs, for instance, offer plenty of options. First and foremost, you have a choice of water activities such as swimming, surfing, or paddleboarding.

The surroundings of most reservoirs often feature interesting cycle paths, hiking trails, or forest areas where you can enjoy captivating walks in nature. You can easily combine all this with some wellness or a visit to a spa, where you can indulge in various treatments or recovery processes. Whatever you decide, make sure your active holiday plan matches your fitness level, and don’t overestimate your abilities, especially in the hot summer weather.

Tips for Enjoying an Active Holiday

If you’re looking for the ideal active holiday, get inspired by the tips below. I’m sure that among them, everyone will find their dream form of relaxation.

1. Hiking as the Gold Standard

When it comes to an active holiday, hiking remains the gold standard that comes to mind for many. It’s a popular activity, and its biggest advantage is that it keeps you moving in a relaxed manner. You simply walk, enjoy the surrounding nature, take a small break for food, a snack, or coffee, visit interesting places, and fill your social media with beautiful photos. At the same time, you can taste local specialities at a mountain hut or lodge, or pack a delicious lunch the day before to provide energy for the next part of your hike.

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Multi-Day Hiking

A great option is multi-day hikes or ridge walks. You can set off in the morning and plan your route to reach a safe camping spot by evening. Before sleeping, a campfire under the stars is a must, and you’ll continue on your route the next morning. If you’re not the camping type, you can plan a multi-day hike with overnight stays in tourist lodges, campsites, or other accommodation along the route. And if, for example, you’re thinking about walking the Camino de Santiago but don’t have experience with such a trek, it might be good to start with a route in your country or nearby.

For inspiration on interesting routes, definitely check local hiking forums where enthusiasts share tips, plans, reviews, and difficulty ratings to help you choose a hike that matches your fitness level. You don’t have to stick to traditional walking either; Nordic walking, or walking with poles, is an interesting alternative. Thanks to the poles, it helps engage the upper body muscles and makes it easier to tackle tougher terrain. ^[1]

2. Mountain Activities for Adventurers

When it comes to hiking in the mountains, there’s so much more on offer, especially if you have an adventurous spirit.

Via Ferrata

Experience the mountains from a new perspective with various via ferrata routes, which combine elements of hiking and climbing. These routes, like traditional hiking trails, have different levels of difficulty. They are designed for people without extensive climbing experience. On via ferrata, you’ll encounter ladders, ropes, chains, metal steps embedded in the rock, and other features designed for a safe ascent. However, special equipment is required, including a helmet, gloves, and appropriate footwear. If you’re new to via ferrata, it’s best to go with an experienced person and study the specific equipment needed for each route, as it can vary. ^[2]

Tree-Top Walks

This active holiday allows you to enjoy the mountains in Tarzan style, from the heights among the trees. You can explore various routes that offer tree-top walkways or rope bridges, giving you a unique perspective of the forest. For an extra thrill, try a zipline and conquer your fear while enjoying a scenic ride on a cable.

Paragliding

If tree heights aren’t enough for you, aim for a bird’s-eye view. Paragliding lets you glide on air currents, offering breathtaking views of mountain peaks, alpine meadows, forests, and other natural wonders. Another great option is a hot air balloon ride, especially at sunset, where the last rays of the sun bathe the mountain tops in a beautiful orange glow. The tranquil balloon flight has a meditative quality, perfect for reflection.

Try Other Mountain Activities

Explore more ways to enjoy the mountains ^[3]:

• Foraging for mushrooms
• Green exercise
• Visiting a national park
• Hiking to local springs
• Exploring caves or mines
• Fishing
• Swimming or rafting
• Mountain biking
• Birdwatching
• Visiting interesting landmarks
• Exploring geological or volcanic sites

3. Classic Holiday with an Active Twist

A balanced and popular form of holiday is combining classic relaxation with active pursuits. The key is choosing the right destination that offers both relaxation and activity. Look for interesting locations or resorts situated in prime spots, allowing you to take trips and explore the surroundings. You can also stay active by playing various games with restless children.

Another option is visiting a local gym or going for a magical morning run on the beach. A great alternative is locations with workout playgrounds, perfect for a morning or evening workout when temperatures are more comfortable. If you’re holidaying with a good group of friends, try team sports like football, tennis, golf, or basketball at available facilities. If such facilities aren’t available, bring your own equipment for games like pétanque, football, or pack rackets for badminton or tennis.

Exploring the nightlife also offers fun activities like dancing. Some resorts host group dance evenings or open-air parties where you can dance the night away. Just be mindful with alcohol to avoid a hangover that might hinder your active plans the next day.

4. Water Sports

You can also enhance a classic holiday with water sports, widely available during summer. Most holiday destinations likely offer access to water, be it pools, the sea, or natural lakes, where you can at least swim.

The aquatic world offers many more activities that could enchant you. Depending on the conditions, you can try following:

• Surfing, combining movement with water fun
• Diving/snorkelling to explore underwater beauty
• Paddleboarding, a serene activity, perfect for sunrise or sunset
• Kayaking on calm waters of a reservoir, ideal for transportation to different parts of the water body for other activities
• Rafting for adrenaline junkies who enjoy turbulent waves
• Beach games like volleyball or dodgeball with friends and family
• Long-distance swimming or races
• Water sports at your holiday location, such as water skiing, parasailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, or wakeboarding

5. Cycle Touring

Cycle touring is a delightful blend of leisure and utility. There’s nothing quite like hopping on your bike and heading out into the sunshine for a ride through nature or to explore a nearby town. Combine this with your holiday plans and you can venture into fascinating regions boasting plenty of cycling routes. Ideally, choose accommodation that offers bike storage or a place that rents out standard or electric bikes for tackling more challenging terrain.

The next step is to plan your route, whether you prefer paved bike paths or natural and mountainous trails. Cycling can be wonderfully intertwined with discovering interesting places, so consider this when planning your journey. If cycling is your favourite form of active relaxation, try multi-day bike trips with overnight stays where you can securely store your bike. Whatever you decide, remember to prioritise safety and enjoy the ride.

6. Sightseeing Tour

If lounging around a hotel resort isn’t your style, sightseeing tours are an excellent alternative. Explore cities like London, Barcelona, Rome, Paris, Venice, and more. Finding cheap flights can make this option even more appealing, leaving you to simply plan your travel itinerary. The great advantage of such trips is the effortless physical activity driven by the desire to discover new places and landmarks. It’s not uncommon to walk 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day in your chosen destination, trying to see as much as possible.

These steps are nicely spread throughout the day, so you often don’t even realise how many kilometres you’ve walked. Of course, if you overdo it, your legs will let you know, but if you balance walking with periods of rest, you’ll enjoy the perfect active holiday. You’ll not only keep moving but also witness sights like the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, the Colosseum, Pompeii, the Statue of Liberty, Petra, the pyramids, and many other wonders. Plus, you’ll create unforgettable memories and photos to cherish for a lifetime.

Conclusion

When thinking about an active holiday, you might not realise how many options are available today. You’re no longer limited to a hotel resort with a gym; instead, you have a vast array of choices to enjoy your holiday as you like. You can go for mountain hiking, via ferrata, cycling, water sports, or adventurous activities. The choice is yours, and we hope our tips have inspired you. Whatever you decide, we wish you a pleasant holiday!

If you enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it on social media so your friends and family can also get some great holiday tips.

Sources:

[1] Fitness trend: Nordic walking – https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/fitness-trend-nordic-walking

[2] Emily Woodhouse – WHAT IS VIA FERRATA? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW – https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/magazine/what-is-via-ferrata/

[3] Alex Derr – 73 Great Things You Should Do In The Mountains – https://thenextsummit.org/things-you-should-do-in-the-mountains/