Fitness retreats are becoming more and more popular than ever and not just for the privileged few. The word “retreat” describes the purpose anabolic pharma steroids. To retreat from your usual surroundings, responsibilities, and concerns to get away from the distractions that keep you on that proverbial treadmill in life.
When you get away from it all, you are able to put your life and health priorities in proper perspective. You are able to get outside of your usual environment to review where you are going and where you have been. A fitness retreat is a great way to rededicate oneself to health management. If you need to lose weight, a retreat will help you to get on track recognizing the things you need to adopt into your daily lifestyle.
However, that seems to be the problem with many retreats. Participants look at the retreat as a time to catch up or store up what they have been neglecting to do. Instead, a retreat should be time to add focus and maintain diligence upon returning home.
Fitness retreats can work either way. Some are structured in such a way that they cannot possibly be duplicated on your own at home. An effective retreat setting must simulate a real life environment, which can translate later into your home life routine.
For example, if you attend a retreat where a nutrition chef prepares and serves your food to you then that does not translate into your home life. However, if you engage in cooking lessons then you have something to take home with you that can become a part of your life. New routines can develop from a few building blocks with exercise and nutrition.
When choosing a fitness retreat, make sure that the fun factor is extremely high. Make sure that the activities and outings planned sound exciting to you so that you enjoy the anticipation as well as the trip itself. Places where you can be near the water or the mountains usually are ideal places to go for retreats.
A favorite destination resort where you can find water, mountains, and major tourist attractions would be Las Vegas. Hiking around Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, plus trekking the world famous Las Vegas strip, offers plenty of opportunity both indoors and outdoors.
Should cost be a determining factor, then you may want to consider that your accommodations will vary the price. Find out if you will be put up in dormitory type housing or if you are actually paying for your own beachfront condo. The least expensive option without giving up all personal privacy, would be a bed and breakfast type residence where fitness is the theme. I currently know of only one fitness retreat advertised on the Internet where you are actually charged for the services only. The accommodations are pretty much “on the house” when you factor in the cost of personal training, food, and outings.
Fitness camps that are cutting-edge are no longer subscribing to the military-themed drill sergeant style training. That’s a good thing because the very term “bootcamp” has intimidated many more than it has inspired.
The name “boot camp” in itself depicts an unfriendly, uncompromising, competitive, do-or-die attitude that would ward off the faint of heart. These are groups where participants get caught up in the competitive spirit and over exert to the point of vomiting or worse. The end result is that you have passed a pain tolerance test and did little in the way of proper exercise progression. The risk outweighs the benefit.
As the group exercise trend evolves, there are more alternatives that make a lot more sense. While it is good for the bootcamp operator to offer all body weight exercises so equipment expense and setup are not required, the theme is limited. Participants appreciate variety and they appreciate being introduced to many different fitness props or “toys” that can motivate them.
My groups of all ages and levels of conditioning particularly enjoy the TRX suspension training straps anchored overhead which allows one to progress or regress the difficulty according to stance position. Obstacle courses with mini hurdles, agility ladders, Bosu balance trainers, and cone drills can be done not only by the more conditioned athletes, but also by the senior population seeking to improve balance and gait.
While the first boot camps took an outdoor theme, some are being offered indoors with the same variety. Many people enjoy comfort and continuity, whereas the outdoors offers an unpredictable element with weather. In constrast, I happen to know that there is an outdoor bootcamp in Minnesota that operates year round and in the snow. Almost like the “Polar Bear” club of cold water swimmers, the extreme weather makes it an elite distinction for those who pride themselves in being able to “weather” it.
Regardless of theme, the group environment generates a level of enthusiasm by the nature of multiple people in a group. The magic number according to bootcamp operators is a minimum of 8 people to feel that electricity. The support and camaraderie will carry the group with very little from the instructor. Adherence is high due to the accountability one feels to the group. No one wants to miss a class and if they do, they will be missed and hear about it. Everyone looks forward to being there and being recognized as part of the group and that means you are likely to get in more workouts.