If maintaining an active lifestyle is one of your biggest priorities in life, you may feel apprehensive about skipping workouts while on vacation. Studies show that regular exercise can greatly improve your overall health and lift your mood by releasing feel-good hormones like endorphins and dopamine. Travelers who are used to daily workouts may start to feel a little yucky after skipping multiple days. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself active while traveling. There’s no need to sacrifice your healthy routines while on vacation.
Rick Steves, America’s favorite European travel expert, has some incredible advice for fitness fanatics who dream of traveling to Europe. Throughout his career, he’s written multiple best-selling guidebooks, hosted a popular travel-themed television program, and taken thousands of people on group tours around Europe. He spends several months abroad each year, and over the decades he’s learned a thing or two about working out while on the move. Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn to visit a boring and ill-equipped hotel gym, build physical activity into your travel itinerary with some of his recommended activities. Europe is full of wonderful ways to get outside and enjoy some heart-pumping fun.
Skip the tourist busses and opt for walking and biking instead
Hit the river or lake or ocean to exercise while traveling
Europe is home to countless beautiful beaches, pristine rivers, and sparkling lakes — and all of them provide the perfect opportunity to achieve a great workout. When visiting Switzerland, Rick Steves suggests taking a swim in the Aare River that runs through the city of Bern.
“I free float until nearing a post, which bathers grab to escape the swift current and return to shore. At that point, I have to paddle like mad to grab it or be swept away to who knows where,” Steves wrote on his website. The swift currents and cold temperatures can be dangerous if you’re not a strong swimmer, so tourists should be wary to swim in this Swiss river and take every possible safety precaution. Be honest with yourself about your abilities, and if you aren’t an experienced swimmer, leave that particular activity to the locals.
Boating is another incredible way to get your blood flowing. Steves particularly loves getting out on the water on hot summer days. Some of Europe’s most iconic cities are full of parks with opportunities to boat. Steves recommends Hyde Park in London, Bois de Vincennes in Paris, and Retiro Park in Madrid. Rent a traditional rowboat and “you’ll get a workout and watch local lovers cruise by in their own boats. You can glide a canoe through canals in charming villages just outside Amsterdam, like I did recently on a guided Wetlands Safari tour,” he suggested on his website. If you’re near the coast, consider booking a kayak or stand-up-paddle board tour, which is a wonderful way to enjoy some incredible views while exercising.
