Healthy Holiday

If you need to reset and escape from your hectic schedule, our Lifestyle Retreats could be the luxury break you’ve been looking for. Enjoy the best of both worlds with five-star hotel indulgence whilst experiencing the best elements of wellness. Choose how you spend your time on your dream luxury haven—in between downtime and relaxation, find calm through yoga or meditation sessions, go on a cultural adventure or a shopping to your heart’s content, get active with personal training sessions or let your significant other join you on a wellness bliss experience for two. Benefit from a lifestyle reset in the most vibrant destinations, from the quiet tropical paradise of Bali to the bustling city of London.

Have you caught the triathlon bug? When olympic fever hit our shores last summer, we watched mesmerised as the athletes of Great Britain surpassed all expectations and truly 'inspired a generation'. The 'Summer of Sport' helped contribute to a huge increase of adults taking up a weekly healthy activity in an attempt to get fit. Over 750,000 new people put on their running shoes, dusted off their cycling helmets and made early New Year's resolutions to get in shape. With Great Britain taking 2 of the podium positions in the men's Triathlon event, the Brownlee brothers proved that you don't need expensive equipment, a specialised track or a 4-minute mile to be fit and successful; you just need to give it everything you've got and have fun whilst you do it.

Pilates is a practice that is only growing in popularity as more people discover the impactful effects it has not only on the body but alsoon the mind. Pilates has come a long way sinceit was first created byJoseph Pilates, amounting a storm online in recent years; likened for its ability to strengthen, elongate and bring an awareness of the body. Perhaps it's popularity can be pinpointed to its versatility and ability to cater to anybody, whether you are a complete bamboozled newcomer, or a manic athlete, a toddler squirming in nappies or a grandma wanting some variety from jazz class. 2023 is a brilliant time to immerse yourself in theworld of Pilates with a tailoredPilates retreat . With that in mind, here are the best places to go on a Pilates retreat in 2023: 

There is nothing quite as therapeutic and grounding as a yoga session. At Health and Fitness Travel, we offer a vast selection of yoga retreats - and no two are exactly alike! We offer dozens of fabulous locations around the world for you to get in touch with your body. Here are six standouts places to go on a yoga retreat in 2022! 

With many fad diets offering nothing more than a short-term fix and unsustainable practices, losing weight and keeping it off can be two very different things. Offering long-term solutions, we share our top healthy eating approaches to nourish your body rather than starve it. Explore the realms of a raw food plant based diet that will allow you to retain all essential nutrients, or delve into the balanced lifestyle of the Ayurvedic diet aimed to reunite your body’s humours.

The past year has been like no other; social restrictions have distanced us from family and friends, we have been ripped from our normal routines and it often feels like we are fighting a losing battle. Anxiety levels are at an all-time high, as well as feelings of hopelessness and depression. Many of us have lost jobs and loved ones to coronavirus and it is easy to feel our mental health slipping as the effects of the pandemic impactanother year of our lives.

It’s understood, a life of stress is a life without pleasure. It causes the body to reprioritise what’s important, such as blood flow and heart rate, which can lead to a decrease in libido—a state of being that feeds into the cycle of anxiety. Thankfully, that can be reversed! Known to produce a sensation of tranquility, a feeling of intimacy, and a joyous mood, intercourse is vital to a holistic life. The first step to a well-rounded life is to give yourself the chance to relax and rejuvenate by taking a much-needed vaycay to de-stress on holiday. Our retreats located around the world have programs focused on helping you do just that by offering reinvigorating treatments to re-centre you and your partner’s relationship.

If you want your family to enjoy sports and healthy activities together, but are always struggling to find the time, our family activity holidays could offer the perfect solution. With a wide variety of sports and fitness opportunities in destinations all over the world, make keeping active as a family your priority. 

Nutrition, meditation, and exercise are all very effective methods of sustaining a healthy mindset, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some can’t stay quiet long enough to meditate, others eat relatively healthy but still suffer symptoms. The diversity of the human race is our virtue, and sometimes this virtue calls for us to individualise our approach to health.

Our co-founder Paul Joseph gives his reasons why holidays are so healthy for us and how a break away can offer more health benefits than you may realise.

A holiday is far better for your health than you might think. Naturally, being the co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel, I strongly believe in a holiday's power to give you benefits which outlast your tan. You not only have the chance to escape from the stresses of daily life, but you can stimulate your mind with a new culture and learn healthier habits. It's a great chance to not just relax, but also to improve your physical and emotional well-being, and return home with fantastic memories.

Here, I look at why holidays are healthy for us.

So, that glorious tax refund is finally in your hands. Congratulations! Tempting as it may seem, splurging frivolously on something random may not be the best option there is. There are many smart ways to spend your refund money—pay off a debt, invest, start a business or save it for the rainy days; the choice is yours really. But never has it been a better time to do something just for you. They say that money can’t buy happiness, but science validates that spending your time and money on experiences (not things) can indeed make you happier. According to Kumar and Thomas Gilovich, professors of psychology, “People are more inclined to talk about their experiences than about their material purchases, and they derive more happiness from doing so”. Traveling on an off the beaten track adventure or on a relaxing luxury break either by yourself or with the people you love trumps over any purchase you make in a shopping centre any day. "Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods," says Gilovich. 

With March 9th being National No Smoking Day, there couldn’t be a better time to ditch the cigarettes. However, if the thought of going cold turkey whilst dealing with work stress and daily temptation has you reaching for your lighter, why not combine your first steps towards going smoke free with a healthy holiday that will help you to de-stress, break triggers and build new healthier habits. With the luxury of time, expert medical consultations and specialist therapies, you’ll return home renewed and fully equipped with the long-term answer to continuing your smoke-free journey.

Portugal has become a go-to destination for health and wellness holidays and is home to some of the best spa and wellness resorts in Europe. The warm climate, extensive coastline, rugged landscape, and healthy cuisine are just a few of its many offerings. Portugal is a beautifully diverse country with quaint remote villages, colourful cities, and sun-drenched coastal towns. As one of the oldest countries in Europe, it has a rich and vibrant cultural heritagewhere the old and the new blend in perfect harmony. For a small country, Portugal really packs a punch! But it’s not only a great destination for sightseeing; Here are six reasons whyPortugal is one of the best places in Europe forwellness andweight loss:

It’s official, travel is back on the cards as of this summer (as long as government conditions are met) andwellness travel will rise to the fore as people seek to enhance their health and wellbeing following the events of the past year. Wellness travel has been gaining popularity over the past decade and post-COVID-19 it is likely to skyrocket. COVID-19 has well and truly derailed our lives and we’re all in need of some rest and recovery. There’s no better way to relax and destress than on a spa retreat, or perhaps you are looking for some outdoor adventure after being trapped indoors for most of the year. Whether you are dreaming of the sea, the sand, or the mountains there is a wellness holiday to suit everyone. Here’s why wellness travel will be so important post COVID-19:

“My name is Carla Bangueses and I started my career in Performing Arts and the circus where I forged a dancing career as a professional contemporary and classic ballet dancer. As a dancer and circus artist, I was often injured and this probably led to my fascination and curiosity about my body ́s responses to those injuries, so I went on to take my degree in Physiotherapy. While completing my studies I was intrigued by the neurological and musculoskeletal areas of the body. The accumulation of these events in sports and Physiotherapy brought me to Pilates and I saw the incredible effect it had on the human body!” 

Whether you’re looking to embark on a new adventure, challenge yourself on afitness bootcamp or indulge in a de-stress spa retreat, a tailor-madewellnessholiday will offer you unique experiences to fit your personal needs and aspirations. But what’s so special about tailor-made holidays vs other package holidays? Keep reading to find out why you should book a tailor-made holiday. 

You know who they are. The friend you couldn’t live without. Your BFF. Who better to rest and recharge with? You could spend a whole weekend away together at the Golden Door Health Retreat & Spa + take all the stuff you need with a deluxe Crumpler Vis-a-Vis Cabin Bag each.