Find a thinner, stronger you on your next vacation
Ready to return home from vacation a changed person? A stronger, slimmer version of yourself? The booming wellness-travel trend means there are countless ways to have a great vacation while reconnecting with your fitness goals.
Inspiring options abound. Try a surf fitness camp in Hawaii, a military-style boot camp on a Scottish estate, or mixed martial arts training in Thailand. Hike away the pounds, cycle your way to a better you, or train with Olympians. Your new arm definition and reduced waistline won't be the only lasting effects, either; many of these programs offer guidance on healthier living and eating, so you can sustain that vacation glow.
Stronger, cooler, tanner: Surf fitness camp in Hawaii
Ty Gurney Surf School's Surf Fitness Camp on Oahu delivers a potent Hawaiian cocktail of vitamin D, surf skills and body toning. The combination of surfing lessons, stand-up paddleboarding lessons, yoga and fitness classes and hikes delivers both fun and sun. And the full-body fitness assessment and personalized nutrition plan mean you'll be able to measure results and keep up the good habits even after surf camp ends.
Cost: The four-day surf fitness camp costs between $1,720 and $2,000 (depending on accommodations); the seven-day camp costs $2,760 to $3,100. The price includes lodging and camp activities but not meals or airfare.
Total-body overhaul: Medical expertise meets can-do fitness attitude
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Miami takes a whole-body approach with its all-inclusive program. Book a week-long stay, and you'll kick things off with a comprehensive medical health evaluation and fitness assessment by the center's board-certified physicians, then dive into days full of fitness, health education and cooking classes led by experts. Some weeks feature a special focus such as heart health, women's health or diabetes. In summer, there's also a Family Health Camp with kid-centered exercise, nutrition and cooking classes as well as full offerings for adults.
Cost: One week this spring is $4,400 per person, based on double occupancy ($5,750 based on single occupancy). Summer Family Health Camp rates are slightly lower, and children's rates are significantly lower.
Swimsuit-season prep: Spring cycling in the Carolinas
Power your exploration of the world with your own two legs—that's the theme behind Backroads' many cycling and multisport tours to destinations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Build strength and burn calories on one of its upcoming Spring Training trips, aimed to help people get in shape for spring and summer activities. The Asheville to Greenville Bike Tour, for instance, is geared to a range of fitness levels and can include per-day elevation gains of up to 5,400 feet. The tour also includes stops at attractions including George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate and stays at Hotel Domestique, the biker-friendly boutique hotel owned by cyclist George Hincapie.
Cost: The May 18th departure of the five-day, four-night tour is $2,598 per person, based on double occupancy. Add $1,020 to the price for single occupancy.
Serious sweat: Military boot camp in Scotland
Ex-U.K. Special Forces Military Instructors, nutritionists and sports physios lead campers down the path of sustainable weight loss and improved muscle tone and overall health, all in gorgeous surroundings and luxe digs. The Camp, a military weight-loss boot camp for fitness, has two locations: one on a country estate in Scotland, another at a mansion in Andalucia, Spain. The Camp prides itself on being effective but kind; they promise not to yell as they help find the leaner, stronger you.
Cost: At the estate in Scotland, seven days with shared accommodations starts at $1,287; private accommodations are $1,817. In Spain, seven days with shared accommodations starts at $2,044; private accommodations start at $2,650.
Triathlon prep: Gold-medal training in the Southwest
Athletes in need of a pre-triathlon tune-up can find Olympic gold medalists ready to coach them into shape at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz. The three-day Triathlon Prep Program includes swimming with champion Misty Hyman, a desert bike ride and a guided run with on-staff experts, as well as core training, spa treatments and luxe accommodations.
Cost: Prices change based on current room rates, but at press time, a three-day, three-night stay in early May is $1,641 per person, based on double occupancy in a mountain casita. Call 855-245-2051 to find rates for your dates.
Hike off the fat: Backpacking America's treasures
Fitpacking targets nature lovers who are 15 to 75 pounds overweight and want to get fit and lose weight while on a backpacking adventure vacation. Hiking delivers great cardio, and the weight training is built in, too: Fitpacking participants carry their own food and equipment, sharing the responsibility of toting group gear such as stoves and water filters. Trips happen year-round in inspiring destinations around the country. The Crater Lake National Park trip, which departs in late July, includes a few days on the Pacific Crest Trail as well as rim hikes around the lake and hikes to some of the nearby mountain peaks.
Cost: The July Crater Lake trip costs $1,225 per person, based on double occupancy (meaning you'll share a hotel room with another participant during the first and last nights).
Martial arts madness: Fitness and Muay Thai in Thailand
Channel your inner butt kicker at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand. The facility offers accommodations, a restaurant, and training in Muay Thai, krabi-krabong, Western boxing, and other mixed martial arts. Yoga classes and weight and fitness rooms round out the offerings. The center's BodyFit boot camp suits every fitness level and adds a body-trimming boost to the martial arts training most people come for. The daily boot camp consists of an hour of working with your own body weight to tone and strengthen, plus a once-a-week beach workout and run to a giant Buddha statue and back.
Cost: A basic all-inclusive one-week package, which includes meals, accommodations and training, is $399. The weight-loss all-inclusive package, which offers three additional private sessions and a private fitness consultation, is $675 per week. Per-week prices for just training (if you want to stay and eat off-site) start at around $100.
Arm strengthening and character building: Kayaking in southern Florida
Outward Bound wants to help you find yourself. But along the way, it's going to do wonders for your body as well. The company is best known for its rugged, character-building excursions for teens, but it also offers programs for adults. Some trips are geared specifically to adults 30 and older, including select dates of its Ten Thousand Islands Sea Kayaking expedition. The seven-day trip through the Everglades includes days spent kayaking, nights camping on white-sand beaches and time spent developing skills such as map reading and problem solving.
Cost: Seven-day trips cost $1,823 per person. Some trips are for adults 18 and older, others are for adults 30 and older.