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How to stay fit and healthy on a luxury holiday

The setting of a luxury resort or villa provides the ideal environment for fitness and wellness.

By Caroline Cooper   |  

Staying in shape on a luxury holiday doesn’t have to be a challenge, and there’s nothing more satisfying returning from a break feeling like a new version of yourself. The setting of a luxury resort or villa often provides the ideal environment for fitness and wellness. It’s also a great way to start new routines, break poor habits and provide a springboard to doing some of the things you’ve always wished you had the dedicated time to do.

Level up your fitness routine

You can almost guarantee that any luxury hotel and resort will offer state-of-the-art gyms and fitness centres that, equipped with everything from cardio machines to free weights. Many also provide personal trainers or group fitness classes such as yoga, pilates, or spin classes. Scheduling a session with a personal trainer during your vacation can give you insights into new workouts or even help you focus on specific fitness goals.

Pools aren’t just for lounging around, so commit to swimming a set number of lengths each day and you’ll soon find yourself reaching new goals. Embrace the new environment, ditch the treadmill for a run along the shore or hire a cycle and take in some of the sights, it’s all about combining the holiday with ways you can onboard new fitness routines.

Active sporty woman run along ocean surf by water pool to keep fit and health
Embrace the new environment, ditch the treadmill for a run along the shore or hire a cycle and take in some of the sights

Adventure-based fitness

If you’re feeling more adventurous, many luxury resorts offer activities that challenge your body and get your well and truly out of your comfort zone. For instance, you might go kayaking, paddleboarding, or windsurfing if you’re near the water. These water sports provide excellent upper body and core workouts while also being enjoyable ways to engage with the natural surroundings.

Mountain resorts often offer activities like skiing or snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking or climbing in the summer. Engaging in these activities will keep active at the same time as enjoying the thrill of adventure. Plus, these activities are not only great for cardiovascular health but also help improve balance, agility, and coordination.

Maintaining a balanced, healthy diet

One aspect of staying in shape that often gets overlooked during luxury vacations is maintaining a balanced, healthy diet. With gourmet restaurants and indulgent buffets on offer, it’s easy to overeat or stray from your normal diet. However, one way to stay on track is by adopting a keto diet, which focuses on consuming high amounts of healthy fats, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrates. A keto diet can help keep your energy levels stable, reduce cravings for sugary foods, and even support weight management.

A huge benefit of starting a new diet on holiday is you instantly remove the responsibility and planning of your meals; it makes trying new things much easier. Luxury accommodations frequently offer custom menus or allow you to work with the chef to curate meals that align with your keto goals. Not only will it allow you to adopt a keto diet it will also provide an education around the kinds of meals and food choices and by taking advantage of brands such as beketo.uk that offer a huge range of keto produce delivered to your door, you can continue from where you left off.

woman doing yoga
Staying in shape on a luxury vacation isn’t just about physical fitness and a healthy diet; it also offers an excellent opportunity to focus on mental wellness

Maximise mindfulness

Staying in shape on a luxury vacation isn’t just about physical fitness and a healthy diet; it also offers an excellent opportunity to focus on mental wellness. Many luxury resorts and wellness retreats now emphasise mindfulness and meditation as core components of their offerings. These practices help reduce stress, improve focus, and create a sense of calm. Taking yourself out of the usual day to day tasks and stresses offers a unique opportunity to form new habits and barriers to protect your mental wellbeing.

Adopting simple meditation techniques surrounded by a new and relaxing environment is a perfect cocktail to change mindset and re-centre your mind. Resorts often offer guided meditation sessions with experienced instructors, sometimes in breathtaking locations like beaches with the soundtrack of real Atlantic waves. Yoga or tai chi, offering a holistic approach to mental and physical health are also great ways to try something new and establish techniques over a series of days instead of months at home, making it much easier to adopt these new practices. 

Vacations and extended breaks offer the perfect backdrop for staying in shape while still enjoying the finer things in life. Whether it’s making use of top-tier fitness facilities, taking part in outdoor adventures, or adopting a mindful eating approach like the keto diet, there are plenty of ways to maintain your health and wellness. Someone once said that a change is as good as a rest, but why have one when you can combine both.