Training Paradise Blog

What is a fitness holiday?

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The world has never been so connected, and in the context of flying more and more airports are offering more and more destinations. The world is forever opening up giving us a multitude of options for our next holiday or travels.

However, the traditional all-inclusive holiday consisting of over eating ‘just because’, lying by a highly overdosed chlorinated pool and partaking in shabby tours to local ‘attractions’ is diminishing as quickly as a new concept is putting down its roots. A concept that still allows fine dining, still encourages poolside rest, still offers tours to local places of interest but with one major difference….

…..you’re there to work, workout, work on your personal goals, work on improving your mindset, work off that office paunch and bad posture, work on fine tuning your body and all the while still working on your tan. Don’t allow yourself to think that all sounds like too much work. The more you put in the more you get out. It’s a low risk investment with the potential of huge returns.

Fitness holidays carry so much appeal because they can be as generic, or as specific as you like. The fundamentals are taken care of: three meals a day, various snacks and beverages, accommodation and a point of contact are staples for most camps. The type and quality of food, accommodation and training schedule will vary from camp to camp so make sure you window shop first, check some reviews and get a feel for it.

Some camps offer a basic fitness package of various classes and food where you arrive, attend sessions, eat as a group and spend time in between workouts either relaxing or striking out on your own or with newly found friends to a local beach or town. Fitness retreats can be found globally, so often the type of excursion, cuisine and approach to exercise will differ from country to country. This type of camp is great for keeping active, eating healthily and still feeling like you have had time to relax and recharge, explore a new place and leave feeling satisfied that you’ve done something good for yourself.

Other camps offer a little bit more. The core package is the same where you know your meals are taken care of, that you have somewhere to sleep and that there is a timetable of exercise classes.

So, what is different?

These camps aim to submerse you into a diverse range of workouts, they aim to look at you as an individual and tailor a specific training and eating regime to optimize your results. Your arrival would include a consultation with a nutritionist and fitness coach and a tailored plan would be made for your stay. Classes would vary from strength training to yoga, beach boot camps to meditation. If you’re in a country with a culturally significant activity such as Muay Thai boxing in Thailand, you’ll get to learn that too. To attend these types of retreats doesn’t mean you need to be a hardcore exerciser or gym-goer, you can be a complete novice. This is really down to the fact that these camps tend to host less people and in so doing allowing more contact time with guests. You’ll receive more personal coaching time with the trainers, classes will have less people and so the whole program becomes more bespoke. Abilities and requirements are catered for in a more precise manner. Injuries can hinder, jeopardize and de-motivate anyone that is looking into this type of holiday. Don’t let that hold you back. Retreats of this nature tend to not only modify exercises to take injuries into account but offer rehabilitation and post care physio advice. This is hugely important for the longevity of our bodies and the sustainability of any training program.

To cap it off, if these camps are really on the ball, they will take care of all excursions for you. Handpicked expeditions can exponentially increase holiday satisfaction. Rest time is as important as work time, and many retreats are an advocate for exploration and time spent soaking up glorious scenery and culture.

This is why fitness holidays are so popular.

You leave feeling stronger and more confident. You have learnt things about yourself, what you are capable of and have probably made lifelong friends through the hardships of tough workouts and the enjoyment of experiencing a new country with others. You have had the chance to discover new beaches, new streets, new sounds and new surroundings. You have had time to reflect inwardly and outwardly and become more self-assured.

A fitness holiday then is about giving back to yourself. It is a recognition of how important we are to ourselves, it is about sharing time with others, about laughing and learning and seeing the best in everything around you. The power of good food, good people, a positive surrounding and physical exertion is a unique power. Fitness holidays therefore are a unique experience.

 Harry