Fitness

Offering a years’ worth of inspiration in health-enhancing wellness experiences around the world, be whisked away by our month-by-month guide of the best wellness holidays for 2016. From a spa & yoga spring break in Miami and the Caribbean, to shaping up for summer on a Cretan bootcamp and escaping to Costa Rica for a dose of winter wellness, make 2016 the year to nourish your mind, body and soul.

Also known as moving meditation, Tai Chi is the art of slow, gentle and controlled movements teamed with calming breathing techniques. A diverse wellness activity for body, mind and soul, the many health benefits of Tai Chi have been found to include; relieving pain, reducing stress, enhancing sleep, improving energy levels, strengthening muscles, increasing flexibility and reducing the risk of injury. 

Ditch the lazy fly and flop holidays for an adrenaline-charged escape to one of our fabulous destinations where you can merge an unforgettable romantic holiday experience with a fitness boosting retreat alongside your significant other. A good way to improve and strengthen your relationship, couples healthy holiday do not only boost your wellness but will also release feel-good endorphins which will help you to bond over new and exciting activities. With a wide variety of couples workout retreats, ranging from a running holiday in Ibiza to a yoga and surfing holiday in Maldives, you will soon find the right active holiday for both you and your partner. Fuse your romantic getaway with a variety of exhilarating couples’ activities before being pampered with indulgent spa therapies and tucking into a romantic dinner in some of the world’s most marvellous settings.

Follow the sun, sea and a sense of wellness in 2017 with a year’s worth of inspiration in health-enhancing wellness experiences around the world. We share our month-by-month wanderlust guide of the best wellness holidays for 2017 so you can make this the year to nourish your mind, body and soul.

Your body shape is well-known to hold many clues about some of your significant statics, including your longevity and even personality. Nowadays, more focus is put on seeing how athletes in particular have figures that are suited to their sport. Are some people's physiques designed better for certain sports or is it just about hard work and dedication? Evidently athletes like Michael Phelps will have an advantage over you or I in the pool, but does this mean that he would be good at rowing, for example, with his tall and powerful frame. We want to discover if your body shape really does have an impact on your sporting ability.

If you need a helping hand swapping the couch for a healthier lifestyle, a fitness holiday is a great way to kick-start positive lifestyle changes. Along with fantastic memories, return home from one of our fitness holidays with the knowledge and information you need to create long-term changes to your diet and workout routine. From working out in the great outdoors to keeping motivated with group fitness classes, we share why you should choose a fitness retreat.

Fitness fanatics know that the key to keeping fit and healthy is to look after your body; to warm-up, stretch and care for your muscles before and after an invigorating workout. A spa and fitness holiday can be the perfect chance to push yourself physically, before setting aside some time to rejuvenate and unwind with luxury treatments. Stretch your limbs before a Bootcamp class with a yoga lesson, or enjoy a therapeutic deep-tissue massage designed to untangle knots and strains.

Shining the spotlight on fitness training in nature Eric Walters director of Wildfitness, shares the benefits of adapting our fitness regime to utilise nature.

With an increasing number of experts advocating leading a healthy outdoor lifestyle, that incorporates spending more time in nature and less time under artificial light, we might ask what’s the reasoning? What’s the use in exposing ourselves to the wilds of nature and its elements? Is this a new fad or a counter-culture backlash against the big, loud gyms just for the sake of it? Here at Wildfitness, we would argue not.

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. 

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.

Joseph Pilates, the method's founder, said, 'Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. In order to achieve happiness it is important to gain mastery of your body.'

As early as our 30s, muscle strength and bone density begin to decline. When we hit our 40s, a drop in levels of growth hormone leads to reduced muscle mass, increased fat and reduced energy levels. In turn, this all contributes to a slower metabolism. Women may also notice more fat storage around the abdomen due to a drop in oestrogen and should be aware that this also causes a sharp decrease in bone density.

Summer (and in particular the sunshine filled days of summer) make for a great time to get into running and if you aren’t yet convinced here are a few reasons why from Jessica Lambert...

High-intensity interval training combines very short bursts of vigorous exercise with even shorter recovery work or rests. Due to the often-extreme levels of exertion during the active phases, HIIT sessions typically last less than 30 minutes; as such they're an extremely time-efficient way to get fit and rev up your calorie burn. Nobody wants to spend hours sweating in the gym on a hot summer's day, which is why a regular HIIT session is just what you need to put a spring in your step over the next couple of months – and hopefully beyond.

With so many of us leaping onto the fitness bandwagon, it can very easy to become hurt by pushing ourselves past our limits. Mike Snader, Body Aware Specialist, at The BodyHoliday, discusses the importance of training your body at your own pace and not trying to run, before you can walk.

We have teamed up with bestselling author Jackie Collins in celebration of her fabulous new bestsellers, 'Goddess of Vengeance' and 'The Power Trip'. We are offering one lucky person the chance to win a trip of a lifetime for two worth £5,000! The prize is to stay at the stunning Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun in Mexico. Look out for national rail adverts and billboards around Central London advertising the book and our fabulous competition. 

Win a fabulous all-inclusive active adventure holiday with Health and Fitness Travel and Women's Fitness Magazine

Health and Fitness Travel, the leading experts in tailor-made healthy holidays worldwide and Great Walks of Australia are offering one lucky reader the chance to win a luxury all-inclusive 4 day 3 night guided walking retreat taking part in the exclusive Twelve Apostles Lodge Walk.

We all love a good sunbathe when the weather's fine, but the summer often feels like a distant memory when winter sets in. Do you ever pine for the excitement of swapping rain for rays? By escaping on a summer break during a gloomy winter, you can find yourself in a tropical paradise in moments. We recommend heading to these continental destinations, perfect for overcoming the winter blues.

by Steve Halsall

A Celebrity Personal Trainer

This phrase always makes me smile. I once heard it delivered in a comedy sketch and it came out like this, ‘If you are what you eat mate, then you just ate a fat bloke for lunch’. It in many ways has both a certain element of truth and although none of us will eat anyone, it has a simplicity to it that remains a fact. If you eat crap food you will end up looking and feeling crap. Simple.

We all love to travel. But, let’s face it, when we’re on-the-go, our fitness goals can fall by the wayside. While there is nothing wrong with taking a break from working out, disrupting your regular exercise routine can rear its ugly head one way or another. From sluggishness to brain fog and loss of motivation, you’ll know it when your body is telling you to get moving.