How to maintain your practice on holiday…

So… You’ve spent some time and effort creating a regular movement practice. Perhaps it’s a daily 20 minute stretch and strengthen before work, or 3 times a week you finish your working day with an online class or you are juggling an irregular schedule and have got into a great habit of squeezing in some movement when you have a spare few minutes.

We know that consistency is key to maintaining a habit, so how do we keep things going when we are away from our regular routine?

I have many times gone away, whether for work or play, with the best intentions of keeping up my practice. Particularly when it’s only a couple of days - surely it can’t be that hard to keep doing it?

Something happens though, when you are outside of your usual routine. Many of the signals and cues we have consciously or unconsciously set ourselves, are not there anymore and this can make it challenging to stick to a plan we have set ourselves, no matter how much you want to! Often, we don’t even remember we’ve missed it! 

When we are away from home (or even on a staycation - as I expect many of us will be taking again this year) - of course we want to take the opportunity to linger a little longer in bed, have a glass of wine with lunch or a huge ice-cream and sit up long past your usual bedtime catching up with loved ones. If you are travelling for work you are not going to miss the opportunity to explore new surroundings if you get the chance or socialise outside of the work environment.

More than ever, after the craziness of the last 18 months (and who knows what is to come) - we need to take the opportunity to relax, enjoy and have great experiences!

So what do you do if you want to ensure you don’t lose the momentum you’ve created with your practice? 

My no. 1 piece of advice is to go away with the knowledge that it’s going to look a little different to your practice at home. Check-in and see if there are any exercises that you know you absolutely need to keep your body free of any niggles. What’s your go-to Muscle Energy Technique to keep the hips feeling loose or the shoulders relaxed? Do you know your low back will get cranky if you miss the core activation from your Pilates class? 

Have these exercises as your non-negotiables - make sure it takes no longer than 5 minutes. Then if you have the time and the inclination to do a little longer then go for it. And if not - no stress or guilt!

If it’s something dancey you need to keep working on - for example a show is looming and you need to keep the choreo fresh, have the song handy on your phone and focus on giving it a daily run through rather than refining the details.

Keep it super-easy, short and achievable. And as always - no self-judgement if it doesn’t work out!

And what if you really don’t want to do your practice AT ALL during your break?

I say go for it. 

Take whatever break your mind and body needs to fully reset and refresh, particularly in these difficult times.

I do recommend having a plan in place for when you return to your normal routine - if you’ve taken a long break then ease yourself back in and gradually build up to what you were doing before you went away. 

Not sure what your “Vital 5” should be? Use mine! Click here to access a short sequence to mobilise and strengthen your spine - perfect to bookmark for easy access on your hols. You’ll be added to my mailing list for regular movement and mindset tips and tricks and special discounts and early access to my programmes.