Most holiday seasons, we eat and drink too much, exercise too little, gain weight and feel/look terrible. A new trend in vacations is the Fitcation where one goes on holiday to exercise, actively play, eat well, enjoy some massage and
Most holiday seasons, we eat and drink too much, exercise too little, gain weight and feel/look terrible. A new trend in vacations is the Fitcation where one goes on holiday to exercise, actively play, eat well, enjoy some massage and body work and come back looking and feeling great. What a concept!
The Internet is full of ideas and locations that one can go to and packages that one can obtain with vacations including Zumba classes or Yoga classes or training on the beach, beaches for running on, seas to swim in and snorkel or dive, and offering lots of good fresh food… I don’t know what that sounds like to you, but to me that sounds like home … right here on Kauai.
A friend of mine who coined the phrase “I train with Jane,” Ron Wiley and his wonderful wife Laura, have long advocated their “Stay and Play” on Kauai and with good reason. Laura likes to say: “We saved $10,000 by staying and playing on Kauai.” And she is likely not far off the mark (she is a certified accountant so we would expect that).
So what do the other places have to offer? San Diego has the Carlsbad stairs leading up and down to a beach. Anybody been out to Poipu and run the stairs there? I have clients that I send there on their off days from working with me, so they can have beautifully shaped tushes.
San Diego also boasts Zumba parties as part of their Fitcation offerings. We have some of the best Zumba teachers here on Kauai and many locations that offer that fun and festive way of increasing your cardio fitness and reducing your waistline!
Puerto Vallarta offers ocean-view rooms and daily fitness classes as part of their Fitcation package. I think we could manage that here, and maybe also some mountain-view rooms. What do you think?
Portland, Oregon, offers wooded hiking trails. And also is noted offering Barre classes — a combination of ballet, yoga and Pilates. We have that on island too. In fact, as part of the Oregon experience they offer a “Hawaiian” experience with Lomi Lomi massage which they promote as connecting the heart, mind, body and soul.
I guess we would have to agree with that, but why leave the island to get a Hawaiian experience? It is my opinion that we might promote our island as a great Fitcation destination and have tourists come to experience the natural beauty, the local food, and the great outdoors and fitness facilities that we have to offer.
In Chicago, they are promoting cycling classes, golf courses, and walking the lakefront. Seems rather tame considering what Kauai has to offer. New York boasts Central Park walks, and something that has one balancing on a surf board, while combining Pilates, boot camp drills and core exercises. They play a video of the waves crashing and beach music to set the mood. I know, kind of sad … why not really go surfing here on Kauai?
In Charleston, you can learn pole dancing. Now that’s kind of fun … I guess. Here you could learn Tahitian. Wonder which would give you a better workout? Near Charleston you can go SUP — think we could manage that here too.
Some things that we can’t manage are snow Fitcations. Colorado has fabulous snow offering snowshoeing which is a fabulous calorie burner, and of course downhill and cross country skiing. Also in British Columbia they offer Heli- skiing where you take a helicopter in to places where there are no lifts. Yikes!
Same in Utah, you can snowboard, ski and enjoy all the cold weather activities accordingly. You will burn a lot of calories and have a lot of fun, but make sure that you keep hydrated and protect your skin (and bones) as with all activities.
The Cayman Islands invite you to come and snorkel with the stingrays. I’m not sure I’d care to do that but I love snorkeling with the dolphin here, or the sea turtles. That’s more my speed.
Now here’s something you might not have known. Apparently Las Vegas promotes itself as a Fitcation city, too. They offer SUP, yoga, and have special healthy menus at one location just 25 miles off The Strip.
St. Lucia has a resort that will create a personalized food plan and training sessions, a body stat analysis and create a program that you can take with you and continue at home. This is exactly what I do so you can stay here and save the $5,000 for seven days and get more for your money!
Maui promotes people coming to their island to do yoga. They offer horseback riding, hula and archery lessons.
Enough said. Kauai offers fabulous resources to plan a great stay and play without the cash outlay. It just takes some planning. More and more people are traveling on Fitcations because priorities are changing, people are more educated about their health and vacationing is no longer about overindulging in food and alcohol but rather using the time to regenerate and refresh one’s body and mind. Lucky we live Kauai.
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Jane Riley is a certified nutritional adviser and certified behavior change specialist. She can be reached at janerileyfitness@gmail.com, (808) 212-8119 and www.janerileyfitness.com
