How to Stay Fit on a Barbados Holiday (Without It Feeling Like Work)

01 ## The holiday fitness problem nobody talks about You've spent months building momentum. You're sleeping better, your clothes fit differently, you're actually enjoying exercise for the first time. Then you go on holiday — and three weeks later you're starting from scratch. It doesn't have to be this way. ## Why holiday training is different When I train clients on holiday in Barbados, we're not fighting the environment — we're working with it. Early morning sessions on the terrace or beach before the heat sets in. The sound of the Caribbean. A completely different headspace. Clients consistently tell me that sessions on holiday feel easier than sessions at home — even when the work is harder. There's something about being removed from normal life that lowers the psychological barrier. ## The approach that actually works ### Keep it short and sharp Holiday sessions should be 45–60 minutes maximum. Long enough to get a real training effect. Short enough that it doesn't eat into the holiday. ### Train in the morning The Barbados heat peaks between 11am and 3pm. A 7am session on the terrace — before the day gets going, before everyone is awake, before the sun is full — is one of the best training experiences you'll have anywhere. ### Use what's around you Villa gardens, pool decks, beaches, grass. I bring the equipment — kettlebells, bands, suspension trainer. You provide the space. Between the two of us, there's never a shortage of options. ## The 4-session week For clients staying two weeks, I typically recommend: - **Week 1** — three sessions, spread across Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Let the jet lag settle, let the body adjust to the heat. - **Week 2** — three to four sessions, slightly higher intensity, progressive from where we left off. That's six to eight hours of quality training in a two-week holiday. By any measure, that's enough to come home fitter than you left. ## What about food? Barbados food is genuinely excellent — fresh fish, local vegetables, rice and peas, breadfruit. It's not hard to eat well here. The principle I give clients: eat the local food. Fried flying fish and cou-cou is better for you than most things you'd eat in a UK restaurant. Don't over-restrict. Don't feel guilty. Eat what's good, move every other day, sleep eight hours. That's it.