Overindulged On Your Summer Holiday? Here’s How To Get Your Routine Right Back On Track

So, the time of floating around the pool on an inflatable flamingo is over for another year. And to top it off, apparently when we’re not on holiday, it’s no longer socially acceptable to have a cocktail in hand at 10am(?). Who makes these rules? Where can we petition this?

It’s home ‘sweet’ home, holiday blues are in full swing, there is sand in absolutely every crevasse and we realise that we may have gone ever so slightly overboard with the all-inclusive package. Time to get back on track.

Once a routine is broken, it takes a whole lot of mustering up motivation to get moving in the right direction, but if it’s been done once, it can be done again, right?

Here are some top tips to get that routine going again, whilst also distracting from the fact that there are no palm trees in a 276428-mile radius and Pablo is no longer delivering round-the-clock piña coladas.

Set a schedule (but a realistic one)

Working out twice a day for the next two weeks probably isn’t going to happen. Also, it probably shouldn’t happen, because that kind of schedule is an injury waiting to happen. A schedule, however, is always a good plan. Map out the week with achievable tasks. What was the schedule pre-holiday? What worked? Maybe try something new? #newtannewme #cultured

Meal prep

We can have the best intentions in the world, but when we’re hangry and unprepared, and those golden arches are looking down at us, it means deep trouble. Getting back into the habit of meal-prep box life is the way forward. Reducing the temptations, and let’s be honest, after buying every sibling, mum, nan, and local neighbourhood dog an ‘I love Majorca’ souvenir keyring, it’d probably be good to start saving a bit of money again.

Set a goal

This could be a fat-loss goal, a strength goal, or even a less realistic ‘run 5km within 20 seconds’ kind of goal. Either way, if you’re aiming towards something, it’s easier to keep yourself motivated and on track. This applies particularly well when you’re doing paid events. If it gets to the point when motivation alone isn’t enough to hit that goal, paying out some money sure can light a fire up underneath us. Nobody like needlessly throwing away cash (except for those I love Majorca keyrings of course – they were essential to everyone’s wellbeing and not at all tacky).

Join a boot camp that asks for a payment upfront, rather than PAYG. Enter a race. Once you’ve invested money, you’re more likely to invest your time.

Make a good playlist

There’s nothing quite like a good playlist. On the days that motivation is at an all-time low, which is 100% going to be the case after touching down on home soil, a good playlist has always got the goods.

Headphones in, zone out – instant fitspo.

Don’t Delay It

It’s easy to make excuses to not work out. It’s easy to say, “I want to settle back into work first, and then I’ll get back on the fitness train.” Or the most common, “I’ll start on Monday.” Because what kind of maniac starts a new regime on a Thursday right?!

The longer it gets put it off for, the harder it is to get going.

Recruit Some Pals

Get some friends on board so that everyone is in the same boat. Ah – boat, remember sunbathing on one of those? Snorkelling. Tanning. A way better kind of boat to be on, but alas, here we are.

Sometimes we just need a good old-fashioned kick up the backside, and what better people to do that than friends. It’s unlikely that within a group, everyone will have the same de-motivated day at the same time. Use each other to get going and stay on track. If you’re in good company, and have people other than yourself keeping you accountable, you’re ten times more likely to keep at it.

Treat Yo’self

If none of the above helps, then there is something that works every single time, without fail – self-bribery. Get some new activewear, new trainers – anything vaguely fitness related. It might not be enough in the long term to keep on track, but it may well just be the nudge in the right direction that’s needed to get going in the first place.

We all love to parade around in new activewear, so parade fast enough, and that’s a run! #lifehack

It’s not going to be easy – it never is – but with a mix of these tips, it should you’re your setback/holiday blues situation slightly more bearable. See this as the first step towards next year’s holiday. Head to the gym and work out with that sun-kissed glow. Do it for the gym selfies, for the distraction and for the feel-good factor – whichever gets you through the door.

Take Home Message

Use this as the beginning of a long-term routine, save yourself the struggle of getting two weeks out from your next summer holiday, and having to panic and flap back at square one. If you can get a solid routine in place, you might not need to do anything extreme for your next one.