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Discover five simple tips for casual athletes and exercise enthusiasts to help you get the most out of your holiday.

There are two types of holidaymakers in summer: those who head to the sea in search of tranquillity and forget all about training, or only exercise when they start to feel guilty; and on the other hand, those who enjoy an activity-filled break and consciously choose holiday destinations that offer running, cycling or mountain biking opportunities.

Both options are perfectly valid. We know that we should give our bodies a break at least once a year and summer, with its warmer temperatures, can be the perfect time to take this break. However, with its long days and warmer weather, summer can also be the ideal time to prepare for a major annual sporting goal or participate in a remote competition in the mountains or a competition which is particularly long.

What kind of holidaymaker are you? We’ve put together five holiday tips for each.

5 tips for casual athletes

Our five tips are designed to show you what to look out for if you prefer to leave sport to others but still want to keep your fitness up.

1. Take exercise breaks: even while relaxing, stand up regularly and move around to get your blood flowing and avoid muscle stiffness.
2. Eat healthily: opt for a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein to stay fit.
3. Integrate physical exercise into your daily routine: while rest is important, try to move around every day and stay active, even if that’s just taking the stairs instead of the lift.
4. Set yourself a small goal each day: by setting yourself an achievable goal each day, you’ll feel better about things in the evening. This has a really positive impact!
5. Discover something new: try an activity such as climbing, tennis or beach volleyball and move in different ways than what you're used to.

5 tips for exercise enthusiasts

If you're more of an active person who likes to exercise regularly, then these next five tips are for you.

1. Make sure you get enough rest: if you are training more intensively, you should always factor in plenty of recovery time as the two belong together like high and low tides. Of course, you'll recover more per se because you're not working x hours, for example. However, if you spend all your free time busy with activities, you'll quickly find yourself in a recovery deficit.
2. Invest in your stamina: avoid increasing the intensity and duration of your training sessions at the same time. Focus instead on longer endurance sessions, since you’ll have more time to train and recover during the holidays.
3. Eat healthily and stay hydrated: it’s not a good idea to train hard while trying to optimise your weight. Focus instead on a balanced diet and drinking sufficient amounts before, during and after training.
4. Include friends and family: don’t just do your own thing – plan activities with friends or family that you don’t get to spend enough time with outside of the holidays.
5. Discover new places: use the opportunity to explore the holiday region on foot or by bike. You'll almost certainly find this motivating and inspiring.