When it comes to losing those unwanted extra pounds that tend to accumulate at the end of the Christmas holiday season, the challenge most people face is incorporating healthy eating and exercise into their regular day-to-day routines.
An increasingly popular way of dealing with the problem is to combine getting into shape with a mini break. Though you can take this kind of trip to anywhere in the world, the fitness holidays Europe has to offer have a number of distinct advantages.
Not only is there a wide range of stunning resorts to choose from, but they are all close enough to ensure you won’t have to deal with jet lag during your stay or on your return.
Bad Habits
If you’re in the same surroundings every day, it’s much harder to break your bad habits. You start out with good intentions, only to see them fall by the wayside after a few weeks or often just a few days. It’s the reason gyms are full to capacity for the first two weeks of January and then back to normal by the middle of February.
With busy work schedules and social lives, it’s all too easy to postpone sessions at the gym or save time by tucking into high-fat ready meals or fast foods. A fitness holiday is a great way to help get both your body and mind back into peak condition.
Healthier Routine
A fitness holiday need not be torture. If you are expecting hours of punishing, sweaty exercise followed by meals of cottage cheese and carrot sticks, then don’t worry. The key is to get used to a new, healthier routine. The best fitness holidays put almost equal emphasis on both eating well and adopting a new exercise routine.
You can stay in a beautiful hotel, drink wine and eat delicious food, yet still end up losing weight and feeling fitter, thanks to a regime of daily massages, yoga classes, circuit training or hikes.
The level of exertion is entirely your own choice. The Vendura Golf and Spa Resort in Sicily, for example, has a choice of spa programmes, including a detoxifying raw-food diet or a muscle-building and toning experience.
The SHA Wellness Clinic on the eastern coast of Spain provides a carefully selected macrobiotic diet which, by removing caffeine, animal fats and sugar, provides almost immediate benefits.
Dedicated Resorts
The advantage of such dedicated resorts is that everyone staying there has the same goals. It means there is less chance of being distracted or led astray.
You won’t be able to gorge yourself with unhealthy choices from the menu because there simply will not be any. You won’t have to worry about being disturbed by groups of lager louts because there won’t be any around.
For this reason, holidays focused on well-being can also be a great way to spend truly relaxing, quality time with your partner. Many such holidays include a series of consultations with nutritionists, personal trainers and doctors, so you can return home with a wealth of knowledge about how to maintain a superior level of fitness in the future and a renewed zest for life itself.
This guest post was contributed by Leyla, an aspiring blogger who enjoys writing on diverse travel topics ranging from exotic long-haul destinations to homely holidays in the UK. She is currently writing on behalf of Electric Bloom, who offer reinvigorating wellness holidays which include fitness and weight loss holiday retreats throughout the globe.