It’s a pretty widely held notion that people vacation to get away from a) it all, b) their job and c) their workout — for a few days at least.
However, there is a strong contingent that actually looks forward to going away to keep the workout part firmly intact (let’s hope while leaving the other parts of the trifecta back at home?).
For those among us who enjoy a good spa visit, beach getaway or stroll along the Seine along with a rousing regimen of running, hiking, golfing or even spending a couple of hours inside the hotel gym, there are fitness vacations that offer the best of both worlds.
MSNBC‘s list of “active excursions” [courtesy ShermansTravel] may not be for everyone. (How can you possibly balance the paper umbrella in your mai tai while jogging, really?) But it’s a wonderful new change of pace or way to recharge and reinvigorate if you plan for it.
Here’s a look at some prime picks of the Top 10
- France’s Alsace region boasts some terrific bicycle routes, especially the 106-mile long Route des Vins (Wine Route). Pedal fatigue setting in? Just pull over and enjoy a glass of Rieslings and Gewurztraminer, two wines in the region.
- Ahoy mateys who want a hot new body! Crystal Cruise’s 2010 Mind, Body, and Spirit package offers trips to the Mexican Riviera, Asia and transatlantic cruises, on which you can dine on a healthy menu, enjoy Pilates and yoga, a workout in the gym, or run on the quarter-mile track out on deck.
- Say aloha to Hawaii and give surfing that old college try (that you may have been wanting to attempt since you were a coed!). Surf lessons from Surf Hawaii Surf School on Oahu‘s North Shore can’t be beat. Girls-only getaway? Try the SwellWomen on Maui‘s Kaanapali Beach, which caters to women, but offers coed retreats as well.
- For something closer to home, perhaps, try Killington, Vt.’s New Life Hiking Spa, which is open from May to September only. Hiking, yoga, weight training, swimming, and cuisine and wellness classes round out the package.
- Tulum, Mexico’s Amansala Resort offers a full-service butt-kicking designed to have you leaving with a buff new bod. Body-sculpting classes, power ab sessions, bike and kayak excursions, Pilates and yoga are on the menu. What’s not? Margs and nachos, so be prepared to say “adios” to those typical vacation treats. (They don’t call this Bikini Boot Camp for nothing.)
Who knows, you may just be the only one you know who loses instead of gains weight on vacation.
Photo courtesy of 666isMONEY ? ? & ?, via Flickr