Fitness Vacations

Most people think of a vacation as a time to relax and indulge — to eat five meals a day, enjoy unlimited drinks, and back in the day on most cruise ships, hit up a decadent chocolate buffet at midnight. It’s not a time to worry about hitting the gym and eating carrot sticks. But often, the return home after a week of overeating and no exercise is less than satisfying.

Another option is a fitness vacation with a focus on delicious but healthy meals, outdoor and indoor exercise, classes, and discussion groups tailored to send you home feeling energized and ready to take on the world.

Utah has a variety of options ranging from resort locales in Southern Utah and the Wasatch Mountains to residence hotels in the Salt Lake Valley.

“We are an active destination retreat,” says Tracey Welsh, general manager of Red Mountain Resort in Ivins. “We attract mostly people who are already active and healthy, and who appreciate our stunning location at the entrance to Snow Canyon, surrounded by red mountains.”

But there is a place for every interest at Red Mountain. Those looking to lose weight can participate in programs to help facilitate that goal. Even couch potatoes are welcome, or in this case, hammock swingers. “Most guests want to hike in Zion and Snow Canyon, attend classes, and enjoy our healthy cuisine, but we have some who simply want to lie in a hammock for three days and that’s fine,” Welsh says. The average stay at Red Mountain is four days, with spring and fall as the resort’s peak seasons.

The goal at Inspire Fitness is to create a strong, positive group dynamic with its guests and work on mental attitude as well as physical exercise. Healthy food is cooked by chefs on the premises. “We’re less about eating tortillas and potatoes till you puke and more on nutrition, fitness and coping strategies,” says Eric Bond, director of health and wellness at Inspire Fit Resort at the Zermatt in Midway.

“We like to focus on how much more weight our clients are going to lose when they leave,” Bond says. “You need to be healthy and happy in order to lose weight. A think tank of people put a lot of thought into creating a program built on the idea that regardless of our size, we’re all the same.”

The average length of stay at Inspire Fitness is three weeks, but there is a locals program for five days or even one. An average of 20 to 30 people participate each week and enjoy the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains by hiking, snowshoeing, paddle boarding and zip lining.

Miracles Fitness is not a desert spa retreat. Rather, it’s located in the heart of Salt Lake Valley in Marriott’s Residence Inn alongside beautiful Murray City Park. “Our guests aren’t secluded in a remote location in the middle of nowhere,” says owner Austan Torson.

The Marriott comes equipped with everything Miracles Fitness clients need to meet their health and fitness goals — personal training, coaching, exercise facilities, cooking classes, massages, life coaching, meals made fresh daily and hiking excursions across the Wasatch Front. The primary goal of the company is to inspire, motivate and educate people about how to live healthier lives.

“We want to help them create a more sustainable weight loss and make lifestyle changes that don’t include continual fluctuations,” Torson says. Approximately 10 clients participate at any given time, with the average length of stay being four weeks. “We try to keep our program more intimate,” Torson concludes.

“It’s never too late to live a healthier lifestyle,” says Victoria Tarter, PR and marketing coordinator for Movara Fitness Resort in Ivins. While many guests come to the resort specifically for weight loss, Tarter says it’s also wonderful for those who are already fit but looking for a good tune-up or active vacation. The resort takes full advantage of its location, offering daily hikes through red rock canyons.

“We have often been referred to as a fit person’s dream vacation,” Tarter says. The length of the program is one week, but an average stay is about two weeks and some people have been known to stay much longer. Lectures are given on curbing emotional eating, managing stress, choosing proper nutrition and implementing the healthy behaviors they learn into their regular life. The objective is long-lasting change.

“So many of our guests form lifelong bonds, which allows them to support each other long after leaving the resort,” Tarter says.