By Alison Searle

So you may be thinking, a trip to Guatemala could do me some good; climbing volcanoes, backpacking through pueblos, a bout or two or travelers diarrhea, maybe I’ll drop a few pounds or twenty and go home a whole new person?

Newsflash: although you don’t have the cute goldfish coyly grinning at you or the cuddly teddy grahams reaching out to you from the shelves, there are an equal number of gordo-syndrome pitfalls right here in Xela.

So how do you beat the seemingly inevitable onset of LBs? There are a few options…

There is the obvious walking around town to keep your heart rate up. As tempting as the 1Q minibuses are from zone 1 to zone 3, you’re in Guatemala, where are you in a hurry to get to?

If you’re into running, there’s the free track in zone 3, complete with basketball courts and fields to play soccer for the athletic overachievers out there.

For something a little more spiritual and relaxing there’s the yoga house. For 15Q a session they promise to strengthen your mind and body; and kick your ass a little if you’re a beginner, but in a good way.

Finally, there are the mountains we so carelessly disregard as a pretty backdrop to our quaint city. There are great paths accessible from 8th avenida, with beautiful views and fairly easy to navigate trails.

So what are you waiting for? Pack up some snacks and get yourself out there! A mango, a Salva Vida, and a few donuts or tacos for the trail…because calories are only worth half in Guatemala, right?