Date of publication 26/08/2019
Active Holiday Enrich your Holiday Experience through Exercises and Sports
Wellbeing and balance: discover active vacations, how exercise greatly improves your vacation, for your next trip.
Enjoying your vacation is perfectly compatible with staying active at hotels with sports facilities. While a little downtime is necessary now and then, setting aside some time to exercise can make any getaway even more enjoyable.
Pleasure comes before obligation. That is what embracing an active lifestyle while traveling is really about. Our Aliveness and Fit & Fun programs are built around balancing exercise with relaxation to support well-being. There are many ways to keep moving while you travel, even while getting from one place to another. First, we will explore the benefits. Then, how to plan for them. Finally, you will find ideas for different sports depending on your destination, along with places to stay that seem made for them.
Why exercise makes your vacation better
Less stress, more energy
There is no need to sign up for an Ironman while you are on vacation. With benefits ranging from helping regulate the nervous system to counteracting the effects of long flights, physical activity can improve your experience and give you a different way to enjoy your destination.
Movement and rest are part of the same cycle, and hotels with spas can help reduce stress and restore your energy just as exercise does. If you already have habits at home that make you feel good, there is no reason to leave them behind when you travel. The release of endorphins and increased oxygen flow from walking outdoors, catching waves, or moving through yoga asanas can have exactly that effect.
An ally against jet lag
Staying fit is far from the only good reason not to spend hours on end sitting at the airport. Exercise can also be a great way to combat jet lag, supporting your well-being on vacation from the beginning. With the right preparation and routine, adjusting doesn’t have to be difficult. Working out before a long journey can help balance the anxiety levels that sometimes come with travel. It can also help reset your internal clock, allowing you to acclimate more quickly to your destination's time zone.
Discovering your destination in a different way
There is SwimRun, which combines running and open-water swimming. Or hiking through extraordinary natural surroundings. Every sport offers a different way to discover a destination. The scenery of an unfamiliar place can often be all the motivation you need to get outside and start moving.
Exploring somewhere new through exercise, whether walking, diving, running, or cycling, broadens your horizons while engaging both body and mind. If you would rather exercise with others, ask at your hotel's front desk about scheduled classes and sessions. Sharing the experience with fellow travelers looking for an active vacation can be an extra source of motivation. Then there is the adrenaline of trying something new, especially sports associated with a particular place or season, such as windsurfing or skiing.
How to plan an active vacation
Choose a hotel with sports facilities
One of the keys is planning from the start. Begin with an intention and choices that support it, including exciting, active plans in your vacation schedule. Set aside a little time each day for this purpose and treat it as time for yourself. Our hotels with sports facilities make it easy to exercise underwater or outdoors surrounded by nature, as well as in fitness spaces overlooking the sea.
These hotels make it much easier to incorporate exercise into your trip. A gym, tennis courts, swimming pools, golf courses, or facilities for cyclists can all be right outside your room, giving you every reason to get moving.
What to pack
To exercise in style, make sure to set aside enough room in your luggage for sportswear and any equipment you may need. That includes footwear, which should be versatile yet suited to the activity, whether you plan to run, walk, cycle, swim, or enjoy another type of exercise during your trip.
You can bring your yoga mat, snorkeling mask, bicycle, or choose the convenience of using equipment provided by your hotel. If you are heading for the water, remember to pack suitable swimwear. Frisbees and volleyballs are also excellent additions to a beach vacation. Whatever activities you prefer, packing with exercise in mind is a simple way to leave yourself fewer excuses.
Keep moving while you travel
Exercises and stretches at the airport
Getting there may not be the most exciting part of a vacation, but much like a good book, there are ways to make the most of the waiting time. Why not turn the airport terminal into your own temporary gym? More and more airports now offer yoga rooms or gyms. If your layover takes you through one of them, whether by chance or by design, staying active is easy.
Gyms and yoga rooms aren't the only option, though. You can also pair movement with moments of meditation. Walk briskly or even jog from one terminal to another. Find a quiet staircase and do a few sets going up and down. A peaceful corner can work perfectly for squats, push-ups, jumps, or stretches, which can help relieve muscle tension before or after spending hours seated on a plane. If you packed your mat, almost anywhere can become a place for a short yoga or Pilates session.
Find the right sport for every destination
Yoga and well-being in Lanzarote
Choosing hotels with yoga is one way to make well-being part of your entire vacation. What better way to bring your physical and emotional well-being into balance than by setting aside time for your practice? In destinations such as Lanzarote, yoga by the sea comes with otherworldly views, dramatic volcanic scenery, and a sense of calm all around you.
The island's natural beauty and restorative energy create just the right atmosphere for switching off. Its beaches shift through different shades and colors, providing an idyllic setting, including the one surrounding Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park, a hotel designed by César Manrique beside the ocean, where finding the motivation to move and make yourself a priority comes naturally.
Surfing in the Riviera Maya
At hotels for water sports such as Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo, there are countless ways to stay active by the sea. Diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, canoeing... And for adrenaline seekers, Mexico's beaches, surrounded by coral reefs and tropical scenery, offer an exceptional setting for surfing. The Yucatán Peninsula, in particular, has well-known waves suitable for beginners and experienced surfers alike.
Cycling in Mallorca
Cycling in Mallorca is part of local life. The scenery of the Serra de Tramuntana, S'Albufera Natural Park, and other routes winding past cliffs, lighthouses, and coastal trails attracts cyclists from far and wide. The variety of terrain and wealth of cycling routes make this Balearic island a wonderful place to get on a bike, whatever your level. From Iberostar Selection Playa de Muro Village, one of the leading cycling hotels in Mallorca, every ride brings something different.
Water sports by the sea in Praia do Forte
Conscious tourism in Praia do Forte continues to attract travelers looking for a more respectful relationship with their surroundings. That approach can easily be combined with your favorite water sport, or provide the perfect opportunity to discover one if you haven’t already. Whether exploring among mangroves or diving over coral reefs, Iberostar Selection Praia do Forte is one of those hotels for water sports that fits naturally into an active itinerary. It offers a well-established daily exercise and entertainment program, along with a golf course for staying active on land.
Golf in Andalusia
Some of the world's best golf courses can be found in Spain, including Cádiz. For travelers looking for golf hotels in Andalusia, Iberostar Selection Andalucía Playa offers the chance to combine time on a course designed by Severiano Ballesteros with moments of relaxation and signature cuisine. It all unfolds beside the award-winning La Barrosa Beach.
Iberostar programs to help you stay active
Fit & Fun for the whole family
Our hotels with sports facilities offer an extensive Fit & Fun program for the whole family. Movement and enjoyment naturally go together. We want exercising on vacation to feel easy, so each hotel offers classes designed to improve flexibility, balance, or cardiovascular endurance. Options include yoga, functional training, kickboxing, dance, core workouts, and stretching.
Guided sessions can be combined with exercise at your own pace at hotels with gyms equipped with state-of-the-art machines, as well as swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, golf courses, and even cycling stations. Children can enjoy sports at Star Camp, with activities adapted to each age group.
Iberostar Aliveness
Our hotels with spas also give you the opportunity to add moments of relaxation and wellness to your trip. Iberostar Aliveness is centered on finding balance through gentle movement and being fully present. Experiences around the world make it easy to try something new and stimulating. A peaceful sun salutation, a relaxing treatment in beautiful surroundings, a meal made with nutritious, natural ingredients, or a kayaking adventure can all help you experience each moment with all five senses and reconnect with what matters.
Book your active vacation with Iberostar
Whatever destination you choose, take some time to explore the sports, wellness activities, and outdoor experiences available there. Stepping outside your usual routine can sometimes be the perfect opportunity to discover a new way to move. And even if you do not feel motivated to give everything you have in the gym while you are away, there will always be a way to stay active on your own terms at our hotels with sports facilities.
