Fitness Retreats

It is usually around this time of year that a great deal of us start to put in that extra bit of effort in order to get the perfect beach body for summer. Every bit further that you push yourself will pay off for you when you are lying on that warm beach, right? Times might be changing though. A recent study by the foreign exchange company, Travelex, has been looking into the rise in popularity of fitness retreats that us Brits are going on.

Traditionally we associate the summer getaway with sipping cocktails beside a pool in some exotic country but now there seems to be another option. The study has shown that over the last year the number of fitness holidays that Brits have gone on has doubled as people look to tone-up and lose weight abroad.

Just because you are going away to relax doesn’t mean that you have to come back with a tight fitting pair of shorts and a gut that needs taking care of. Group drinking holidays that we see on Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents seem almost exclusively for teens and students now as older generations are willing to try these fitness retreats.

Think about it this way. The most common excuse for why we might neglect our health and fitness well-being is that we simply do not have enough time in our busy lives to focus on being healthy. Well what better chance to have the time to get fit than when you are on holiday? A tan might only last a month or two but the right fitness retreat can provide you with real long-lasting results.

Prioritising health is becoming the norm. All you have to do is look around and you can see the increased consciousness that exists in society. More people are looking for alternatives to traditionally negative annual occurrences, like the summer holiday. And now there are plenty of exotic locations that you can visit, whether it is European yoga retreats or Scandinavian hikes.

Many of our hobbies are being incorporated into our getaways and that is what this study shows. All sorts of activity-based holidays are on the rise, including mountain bike trips and dancing holidays. I mean, honestly, do you have more fun sitting around doing nothing or taking part in your favourite hobbies?

I can guess what you might be thinking. The summer getaway is a time to wind down and relax, not think about what you are eating and how much exercise you are doing. But let’s not forget, we are always trying to create a healthy lifestyle through the choices we make, to the extent that it becomes natural. So why abandon it for two weeks of the year?

It is not just Britain that is health conscious, the world is changing. You can enjoy local food, drink and culture all over the globe without making poor health choices. Fitness retreats are not supposed to be seen as a negative, they are supposed to be a positive alternative.

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself when you get the chance to unwind. Fitness retreats can be a great change of pace to a hectic fitness schedule. So whatever your ideal holiday is, while the pound is strong, now might be the time to experiment with a different type of break.