If you happened to have experimented one of our suggestions, tell us about your experience, we love to hear from you!

P.S: You’ll notice that many of the destinations are in France, yeah, we’re a bit chauvinist, but isn’t France the most beautiful country in the world?

#1 – GR20 in Corsica – the toughest long distance trail in Europe

Image by altre-cime.com

GR 20 is a long distance trail that crosses Corsica diagonally from north to south. It’s 180k long with a total variation in height of about 10,000 metres. It is considered to be the most difficult of all the GR routes and one of the most beautiful mountain trail in Europe. If you’re fit, you can walk it in +/- 12 days.

All those who completed it will tell you the same thing: it’s difficult, but it’s completely worth it. It’s probably the best way to discover Corsica, one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean. A great life challenge.

http://www.le-gr20.com/gb/

#2 – Get your PADI certification in Greece

Why not taking advantage of your holidays to actually achieve one of your #LifeGoals ? If getting your PADI certification is on your goal bucket list, then why not do that in Greece ? This country has so many beautiful spots. Scuba diving in the Greek islands is a superb experience !

http://www.padi.com/scuba/scuba-diving-trips/scuba-diving-resort-vacations/Greek-Islands/

#3 – Cycling by the castles of the Loire valley

Traveling by bike is getting more and more popular, and many families now get on their bikes to discover new regions / countries. Why? Because it’s cheap, “green-friendly”, and you’ll discover the place at a lower rhythm which helps make beautiful encounters, much more than sitting in a bus.

Many French regions are great cycling spots, but the Loire valley is probably the most emblematic: great castles (Chenonceaux, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau), picturesque villages, vineyards. If you’ve never tried traveling by bike, read the article that Arthur wrote about his world tour by bike, it will convince you !

You can organize your bike travel on your own (http://www.cycling-loire.com), or book an agency for this (there are plenty, such as Le Vélo Voyageur)

#4 – Do a Swim trek in Croatia

If you’re a keen open water swimmer, then you should do a Swim Trek, it will make a fantastic holiday!

SwimTrek is the world’s leading swimming holiday operator, running swimming tours in some of the best open water swimming locations around the world. Damien, our CEO, recently went for a swim trek in the Lithuanian lakes area and he loved it so much that he signed in to cross the Bosphorus (between European and Asian parts of Istanbul) this summer! Beside swimming, you meet nice people who share the same love for outdoor sports and spaces. Croatia, with its Dalmatian Coast counting so many remote and often uninhabited islands, is a lovely place for swimming training !

https://www.swimtrek.com/packages/short-swims-croatia

#5 – Take cooking classes in Italy

We all want to become a good cook. Taking cooking classes can help a lot. Take advantage of your holidays to learn from the best and take shortcuts to becoming a chef yourself. Italy:  mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, pepperoni, great wine… You’ll learn how to cook the tiramisu “come la nonna“! There is a genuine cooking tradition in Italian families, and you’ll learn why!

http://www.theinternationalkitchen.com/cooking-vacations/italy

#6 – Marathon du Médoc – unique marathon in the French vineyards

Image by commanderiedubontemps.com

If you want to run a marathon -there is a goal for that on goalmap ;), why not take a weekend escape to run this unique race? You may not be on holidays anymore (12th sept 2015), but it doesn’t matter: enter this unique marathon where you’ll have the chance to run and taste the best wines in the world (“Bordeaux” wines): two birds with one stone!

http://www.marathondumedoc.com/

#7 – Learn sailing in Arcachon, France

Learn sailing: another one of the #lifegoals you may have written on your goals’ list. Well, let’s do it in one of the most beautiful places France has to offer: le Bassin d’Arcachon !

http://www.bassin-arcachon.com/en

#8 – Hike the Camino de Santiago, Spain

You want to live an unforgettable adventure ? Hike the Camino de Santiago, in Spain. It’s surely the most mythical walking long-distance trail on the planet. Walking there, you’ll overcome daily challenges, face your fears, keep on walking despite the suffering. At the end of your trip, you’ll have experienced one of your best life adventures. From Saint Jean Pied de Port at the border between France and Spain to Santiago, there are 800k, approximately 30 days of walking. 30 unforgettable days. A route to true happiness and an exploration of yourself, the walk of a lifetime.

http://www.caminoadventures.com

#9 – Yoga retreats – relax and meditate

Want to have healthy holidays? What about a yoga retreat? There you’ll meditate, do yoga, cleanse your body, refresh your mind, relax… After months of hard work, you deserve a break. There are yoga retreats everywhere, just click the link below to find a few.

http://www.bookyogaretreats.com

#10 – Practice kite-surfing in Tarifa, Spain

Tarifa, in Andalusia, is one of the best spots for kite-surfing in Europe: there the wind blows almost non-stop due to the straits of Gibraltar. If you’re a kiter you’ll fall in love with Tarifa at first sight.

http://www.kiteworldwide.com/en/kiteholidays/spain-tarifa/

#11 – Climbing l’Alpe d’Huez – France

L’Alpe d’Huez. If you’re an avid cyclist, a Tour de France fan, or if you’re Dutch, you know this place! A mythical summit of the French Alps. The Mecca of the Tour de France. 21 bends, 14k, 1,120m uphill climb, with an average 7.9 % slope. Each day during the summer, more than 1,000 riders climb this mythical ascent. You can even get a diploma up there making your climb time official. You should definitely do it once in your lifetime !

http://bike-oisans.com/en/cycling-oisans/alpe-d-huez-mythical-ascent

#12 – Chase the Northern Lights in Finland

Who hasn’t dreamt to see the Northern Lights one day?

The thrill of witnessing the Aurora Borealis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience: this natural phenomenon is extraordinary! Be attentive though, for it’s difficult to see it, you must be lucky. Finland is one of the best places to catch them. Become a Northern-Lights Hunter!

http://www.visitfinland.com/article/on-the-hunt-for-the-northern-lights/

#13 – Walk along the Hadrian’s Wall in England

Another great walk you can do this summer. This one is shorter : 135k from coast to coast that you can complete in 5-10 days, depending on your rhythm. You’ll be walking along the World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall, a defensive fortification in the Roman province of Britannia built against the barbarian invasions. History will be all along your path.

Another great challenge for your holidays.

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrians-wall-path

#14 – Wine-tasting holidays in the south of France

Image by suitcasemag.com

Because oenology is a mix of sensual discovery and cultural experience, holidays are a great time to improve your wine culture. If you enjoy wines, what’s better than a holiday where you taste new wines, discover new flavours, talk with experts, sharpen your senses?

http://www.wine-tours-south-france.com

#15 – WOOFING – everywhere in Europe

What ? You don’t know woofing ?! Let us explain you, WWOOF is an organisation that connects people who want to live and learn on organic farms with people who are looking for volunteer help. The deal : WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles, volunteers give hands on help in return. If you don’t know what to do this summer, why not try Woofing ? The pros : you’ll learn a lot about the farming way of life and organic lifestyles, escape the stresses of urban life and do something different and positive for our planet ! Go on, become a Woofer !

http://wwoofinternational.org

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, share it with your friends and spread the love on social media (left part of your screen )

If you have already tried one of our TOP 15, or if you have other suggestions for active holidays in Europe, share with us your insights, we love to hear from you!

See you soon on goal map, the free app that helps you set and reach your life goals.

L’article TOP 15 Active Holidays – Get Ready for an Energetic Summer ! est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

So, what’s CrossFit?

CrossFit was created a few decades ago by gymnastics coach Greg Glassman in California. It’is a conditioning program that combines aerobic conditioning, Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics along with classical training elements like kettlebells, rope climbs, tire flipping and sledgehammer into daily WODs (workouts of the day). Primarily used by military, police and fire academy trainees to get in shape, it spread quickly in the US and then worldwide. Now CrossFit is a sport of its own, it even has its official Games, which take place each July to designate the “Fittest of Earth”.

CrossFit is about repeating functional movements from many disciplines, sweating and suffering, Of course, you should be careful with injuries when starting, the best thing is to start with a regular lesson or with a friend who knows the rights movements to adopt.

Why we think you should try CrossFit

1/ It actually works

I am not talking about myself here…;) I have not done enough sessions to claim that! No, I am talking about those thousands of people who say that CrossFit really works. Scientifical studies also prove Crossfit efficiency: Ohio State University exercise scientists showed in 2013 that participation in a CrossFit program significantly improved VO2 max and decreased body fat percentage in both males and females across all levels of fitness.

Want to see the result of an intense CrossFit preparation? Watch 300, the movie: the actors practised Crossfit for 3-6 months before the movie. Ok, this is probably too much though…

2/ It’s not just about strength

CrossFit is not just about strength. Because of the variety of programs, CrossFit can also increases your endurance, flexibility, speed, coordination. It does not just help you gain muscle, it also strengthens your cardiovascular system, helps you lose body fat…CrossFit athletes are not just weightlifters, they are complete athletes supposed to be able to run a 10K but also do long jumps,bar tractions, box jumps, and pull-ups…And this is cool!

3/ There is no workout routine, it’s FUN !

CrossFit workouts are varied, include combinations of different exercises and are intense. Yes it’s hard but that means you won’t get bored!

The good thing is that this diversity builds a strong body adapted to multiple sports and activities. We told you it’s not just about strength!

4/ It’s actually useful in the real life

This is at the center of the CrossFit philosophy. Workouts must help to have a more functional body. Crossfit utilizes movements that your body is meant to do on a daily basis. So it emphasizes real-world movements that improve our body functionality.

5/ It’s not just about sports, but more about a healthy lifestyle

The CrossFit movement involves much more than just workouts. Eating well is critical in the Crossfit philosophy and many CrossFitters eat a Paleo diet that avoids any foods that were not available at our Ancestors’ time, including dairy products, grains, legumes, processed oils, and refined sugar (a diet that favorably induces body fat reduction, increased lean body mass, and better exercise performance). That’s the reason why we love Crossfit at Goalmap. It matches perfectly our vision of fitness.

Staying fit is not just about exercise, it’s also about a healthy lifestle which includes, among other things, eating well. Read our article if you didn’t do so!

6/ You join a genuine community

That’s the first thing that struck me when doing my first session at the Reebok Crossfit Louvre. Both the staff and other CrossFitters welcomed me warmly. Community is at the center of the CrossFit experience and you’ll probably make new friends. You meet like-minded people, you greet, encourage them, support and help each other, share suffering. You will for sure create strong bonds with others.  And guess what?

Research proves that working out with other like-minded individuals results in greater performance during exercise.

7/ It’s easily scalable

Many Crossfit workouts only take twenty minutes so it’s not too time-consuming. Plus most of the workouts can be done at home, at the park, or just a regular gym with no or minimal equipment, so you can start CrossFit just by the time you’re reading this

You practise CrossFit? Share with us the reasons why you love CrossFit in the comments section !

More articles on Goalmap blog about fitness:

• 10 benefits of dragging yourself to the gym
• 5 essential apps to get into jogging
• My First Marathon

L’article 7 Good Reasons to Try Crossfit est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

May these images bring the little spark of inspiration you needed to go seek adventures in the mountains – or maybe start photography ?

So, what did you think of these photos? Amazing, huh? Tell us which ones are your favorites!

L’article Inspiring winter sport images found on Flickr est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.

We often find ourselves too lazy to fulfill our workout routine. “I’m tired today, I had a long day at work, I’ll go tomorrow.” The list of excuses goes on and on:

As many fitness pros are saying, you have to force yourself and go no matter what – don’t make excuses! I can’t agree more. Those times when I really struggled – you know, when a little devil is whispering in your ear that it’s ok not to go, but I ended up sticking to the plan and hitting the gym were so gratifying. Let me share this personal experience with you and tell you about the 10 wonderful rewards that await anyone who has the guts to lift not only the heavy plates at the gym, but first and foremost the mental obstacles within oneself.

1. It puts you in a cheerful mood

There are times when a mild depression strikes me and going to the gym then seems like climbing Everest. I feel too heavy to get up and do anything. Fortunately, I’ve done it many times – I force myself to the gym no matter how bad my mood is. It always pays off. I feel tired afterwards but I feel relaxed and have this unbeatable sense of accomplishment.

We release endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine when we exercise . These chemicals all work together to make us feel good. It’s like getting high without any of the negative consequences.

2. You make friends there

I’m an entrepreneur and full-time digital marketer working from home, which tends to limit the amount of human interactions I get during the day. A lot of my social life is online! Who said I’m a geek? Jokes aside, I have many friends at the gym. It’s a virtuous circle: when I go there I make friends, and having friends make me want to go there! Sport buddies respect each other because they value the self-discipline involved in sticking to a training regime. Friends who sweat together, stay together.

3. It silences your self-doubt

The little devil not only whispers in my ear excuses to stay at home, but he also tells me I can’t do it. I don’t listen, I go to the gym and I give it a shot, trying to push my limits. Action and perspiration speak much louder than the little devil of self-doubt. Doing things makes us more confident, more eager to expand the comfort zone of our present self and become the best we can be .

Action and perspiration speak much louder than the little devil of self-doubt.

4. It boosts your immune system

Exercising enhances our heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. It makes our lungs better at handling oxygen for our body and brain. Our immune system becomes stronger and more efficient in the fight against harmful bacteria and viruses. Check who doesn’t fall ill when winter comes. The correlation will be clear: people who exercise get less sick.

5. It encourages you to eat healthy

When the little devil wins, you generally end up on the sofa eating junk food in front of a TV series (by the way, we think you should smash your TV). When you work out, things get different. You become more health conscious. You don’t want to undo the good you’ve just done. You build up on the effort you just made and eat well: here goes the win-win!

6. It gives you a good night’s sleep

I used to suffer from insomnia. I found the remedy to sleepless nights in the gym. That’s one of the reasons why I drag myself there no matter how busy I am. It feels so good to rest when you’re tired. Few things beat the feeling of going to bed after a good shower when your body is nicely exhausted from the workout you just did. When I push my body, I know that a sound and rewarding sleep is waiting for me at night – I sleep like a baby.

It feels so good to rest when you’re tired. Few things beat the feeling of going to bed after a good shower when your body is nicely exhausted from the workout you just did.

7. It soothes your overworked mind

There is not so much thinking needed in the gym. It’s more about simply unleashing your physical power. This brings balance in your life: we tend to be over-involved in mental / intellectual activities and don’t build the time required to refresh our mind, think better and build up other atrophied aspects of our holistic self.

8. It makes you fit

Well, this one goes without saying: regular exercise makes you stronger and increase your stamina. It also burns fat and makes you leaner. Observing first-hand these positive impacts on your body can become a big motivation to stick to your training regime. It feels so good to realize that you actually have the power to choose what you look like!

9. It saves you money

Most of the times, one has to pay a fee or a subscription to enter the gym, true. That’s only one side of the equation though. Exercising regularly makes you healthier and less prone to getting sick. Over the years, it’s a lot of savings on the doctor / medication front. Why do you think many insurance companies offer discounts or even full reimbursement for gym memberships? Simply because the benefits outweigh the costs.

10. It makes you hot!

Regular exercise detoxifies our body from within. It makes our skin healthier and our muscles more defined. You breathe better, think clearer and are more confident. That makes you hot!

The barbells and plates in the gym might be heavy to lift; but the heaviest weight on our way to achieving our goals in life is none other than our own inertia! When we can overcome it and ingrain the positive habit of sticking to our workout regime day in, day out, the benefits are so overwhelming that those nasty kettlebells soon start to feel lighter and lighter. So you got it: no excuses – don’t think twice, just go… What are you still doing here?

See you soon on goalmap – All your life goals in one app

Start tracking your goals on the Goalmap app:

L’article 10 amazing benefits of dragging yourself to the gym est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.