More than half of British holidaymakers hit the gym before going away and many starting perfecting that six pack up to six months before they even take off.
The body-conscious figures have come to light in a survey of more than 16,500 travellers by online travel agent On the Beach.
The study showed that around a third of those who go to the gym start workouts and diets six months before leaving the UK, with 13 per cent starting one month before and 11 per cent admitting to crash dieting to get what they consider to be the perfect beach body.
These pre-holiday work outs appear to have a lasting effect, as contrary to popular belief, more holidaymakers return from their break feeling like they have lost weight, rather than gained it.
The study also revealed that 40 per cent of holidaymakers feel the need to pre tan their torsos before hitting the beach, with 20 per cent starting to build their base tan a month in advance. Results also show more Brits are opting to choose sunbeds rather than fake tan, with more than one in three opting for the latter, compared to one in four fake tanning.
Results also show that the lengthy holiday preparation doesn’t stop with grooming, as 94 per cent of Brits splash their cash on clothes and beauty products specifically for their holiday. And one in four spend more than £150 on looking good for the beach.
Despite all the holiday hype, the majority of Brits leave arguably, the most important job to the very last minute. Surprisingly, 56 per cent of holidaymakers don’t get round to packing their suitcase till the day before they depart.
Alistair Daly of On the Beach said: “It’s clear from these results the days of pale beer bellies on the beach is long over, as Brits take great pride in feeling and looking good when away. We work very hard for our well-deserved holidays and the build-up is often just as exciting as the break itself, so by starting to prepare early it prolongs that great holiday feeling.”
