Johnny O’Connor: Keeping in shape on holidays

Holidays are all about relaxing and enjoying yourself, but you can still keep in shape while you’re away, writes Johnny O’Connor.

 

It’s around this time of year that people will generally be getting ready to go on a holiday or planning for one later in the summer and even when it comes to a training programme, holidays are great to refresh the body and the mind. Whether you play team sports or do some individual training it can be great to get away from it for a while, relax and unwind and come back rearing to go again.

Some people, though, almost feel guilty while they’re on holiday. They miss being physically active and feel that they have to be doing as much exercising on holiday as they were doing at home.

I used to be like that. We generally get six weeks off when the rugby season comes to an end and there were times when I kept training and by the time it came to pre-season I felt drained. Rest is an important part of a training regime and while it’s important to enjoy yourself on holiday, it’s not as if you have to be holed up in a bar or a hotel for the entire time you’re gone.

Alternative activities

If you feel the need to be physically active, do a spot of surfing or go for a run on the beach for an outdoor hit, but don’t stick rigidly to any sort of a programme - you’re on holiday after all. Eat some crap food and have a few beers and as long as you don’t go overboard, a bit of rest for a week or two will do you the world of good.

Now that the rugby season is over, I’m away to Spain for a couple of weeks and while I intend to enjoy myself, there are a few things I’ll be doing to keep ticking over. In the morning I’ll do some foam rolling and some stretching as I find it a good way to start the morning; it makes you feel comfortable and loose for the rest of the day.

I’ll also bring a TRX suspension trainer with me as well that I can hook up to a door or to a tree for a few sessions during the holiday. As you can see from the video below, it’s very good for all-over body exercises and good for a quick hit. They cost around €150, but because they’re so portable, they’re really handy for travelling and I bring one with me whenever I’m away for a few weeks.

Plan in advance

Planning your holiday to suit your training programme is also a worthwhile exercise. Most training programmes are based around a 4-5 week cycle and then a week’s rest before starting again, so it might be worth gradually increasing the intensity in your programme for four weeks to peak in the week before your holiday. That way you will be in the super-compensation period and be making gains while you’re resting on holiday and be ready to start again on your return.

How active you want to be on holiday depends on your own personal situation. It’s easy for me to talk about resting up for a couple of weeks because I’ve got six weeks off and have plenty of time to recover before pre-season training. If you’re a GAA player in the middle of championship season, for example, you will want to be hitting the ground running when you come back.

You can still enjoy yourself, but maybe get up early in the morning and go down for a few sprints on the beach. A really good workout for example, if you feel up to it, is to sprint 60 metres, walk back to the start, do ten push ups and repeat the exercise 6-8 times. Small metabolic hits that work up a sweat are the type of exercise you’re after and body-weight exercises (push-ups, squats etc. that need no equipment) are good in that regard.

What you can do on holiday depends on the type of holiday you’re on as well. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them but if you’re going to Las Vegas or you’re on a lads holiday somewhere in Spain for a week, exercise mightn’t exactly be the highest priority. That’s perfectly fine as well, some people might only have a week off all summer and they want to let off some steam and I’ve no problem with that.

Importance of recovery

The important thing in those cases it to allow yourself sufficient time to recover on your return. You might have been on the beer for a week and be mad to get back into the swing of things as soon as you get back, and although it’s great that you have the will to do so, it will probably just make things worse.

You will often hear people say after a holiday that they need another holiday or a week off just to recover from it. If you’re feeling sick or not in the right frame of mind for training, you could end up injuring yourself, so although it can be hard to step back, you’re better off leaving it until you feel normal again and that can take a few days.

At the end of the day, a holiday is a holiday. It’s important to forget about work or whatever troubles you have for a while and relax. Sure, do a little bit of exercise and keep yourself ticking over while you’re away, but don’t let it take precedence over having a good time.

Johnny O'Connor plays professional rugby with Connacht. He has previously played for London Wasps and has made 12 appearances for Ireland. He is also a certified strength and conditioning coach. Johnny regularly posts articles from top strength and conditioning coaches around the world on his Twitter page. Click here to follow Johnny on Twitter.