Weight Loss

Susan d'Arcy

Susan d'Arcy has been writing for the Sunday Times for over 20 years, about luxurious spas and travel. As a spa expert she enjoys sharing her tips and insights about the best therapists, spas and treatments, on her very informative, yet entertaining blog, Spa Confidential.

Maybe you’re looking for a weight loss holiday, a fitness holiday, a spa holiday, or perhaps you want all three at once? Look no further, as here at Health and Fitness Travel, we think this is a totally acceptable holiday request – in fact, it’s what we specialise in! There’s great importance in letting your body rest and recover from any exercise, so why not throw in a massage (and maybe a facial whilst you’re at it too). So whether you’re looking to simply indulge in foot rubs or expand using the principles of Ayurveda, we’ve got the ideal healthy holiday for you. Below is our top pick of wellness spas that dedicate themselves to the knowledge of well-being so you’ll always be in good hands.

For those looking for the ultimate luxury spa experience, destination spas are the leaders in their field. These wellness experts promote a healthy and active lifestyle, at all-inclusive resorts in stunning surroundings from Spain to Thailand. Well-being comes from within, and at these destination spas nutritious cuisine is combined with fitness activities and personalised therapies to help you to reach your wellness goals. From Ayurvedic spa treatments, to traditional Chinese medicine and expert run medical spas, find everything to satisfy your spa holiday needs at the world’s best destination spas.

Christmas is often characterised as the time of year in which your healthy habits are broken; overindulgent festive feasts and seasonal celebrations can take their toll on your well-being and leave you feeling lethargic. However, the feeling of being bloated and heavy headed will soon be forgotten as we invite you to take a break from your usual Christmas routine and revive on a luxurious spa break. Whether you would like to focus on de-stressing, healing or enhancing your general well-being, with indulgent spa treatments and wellness activities a healthy Christmas holiday is much more than a chance to seek some winter sunshine and can give you the opportunity to re-balance.

Feeling lethargic, sluggish, and in need of a detox to flush those winter blues out of your system?  Be inspired by some of the best detox holidays around the globe to get your new year off to a healthy start.

As the heat rises and the winter layers of clothes lessen, every year summer prompts us to ditch the couch and lace up our trainers in pursuit of our best beach body. Instead of hurrying to your nearest Spinning class, why not book a spa holiday that will boost your health and fitness whilst offering relaxation too with 5 of the best spa breaks for summer fitness.

What better way to kick-start your New Year health and wellness goals than on one of our luxury wellness spa retreats? From healing holidays in Morocco, to holistic retreats in Vietnam, achieve inner balance this New Year as you take time to reassess your lifestyle. Discover what it really feels like to be pampered in ultimate luxury as you see in January with a heavenly massage under the stars in the Philippines or an indulgent treatment by the white sands of Costa Rica. Whether you are travelling solo, as a couple, or with family or friends, our rejuvenating spa holidays will bring wellness and well-being to all.

During the winter season, we are encouraged to cover up our bodies and don't pay much attention to the effects caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. Come summer, we want to get on the beach, work on our natural tan and display our amazing bikini body. However, gaining those extra pounds during the cruel winter will be counterproductive to enjoying the summer months. Escape to your very own bikini beach body break and ensure that your body looks its best all year around, for a long time to come.

If you're looking to watch your weight there are so many healthy drinks that can help aid weight loss, simply by drinking them you can feel fuller than if you had drunk a fizzy drink, which can help stop snacking during the day.

Holidays are a great time to escape from the stresses and strains of every day life, and an occasion to indulge in the things you struggle to fit into your typical working week. The word alone invokes images of fine sandy beaches, turquoise waters, colourful cocktails and afternoon wake up calls. But if you want more from your holiday than just a suntan, combining exercise with your time off work could be just the thing you need to give your health and well-being a boost.

Shining the spotlight on one of the biggest foodie breakouts of the last few years, we share why an alkaline diet is so good for you and how you can begin your own journey in to this healthy lifestyle.

To coincide with its third anniversary, the award winning SHA Wellness Clinic is proud to reveal its new look after an extensive expansion and renovation.

Relying once again on the talents of prestigious designers Elvira Blanco Montenegro and Francisco Palacios to enhance the distinct style of the complex, they more than deliver, using their unique classic minimalist style to create a space where peace and serenity reign. From the moment you step into the spa the prevailing black and white, continual light and modern undulating wall design enhances your experience. Each treatment room is personalised with different finishes and details.

Celebrity getaways are often remote and exclusive, they are known for going on magnificent holidays to the world's most exciting destinations to escape the pressures of their busy and public persona lifestyles. Celebs have their image to maintain and a health-fulfilled inspired lifestyle is fundamental for them. We share the top five healthy spa holidays where celebs go to keep well.

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.

With the popularity of detoxing growing in recent years, there seems to be an equal amount of recommendations and warnings, both for and against the process. Here at Health and Fitness Travel we are all for detoxing which, far from another fad-diet; is simply the encouragement of a natural bodily process that if approached correctly can lead to a number of healthy benefits.

Going without solid foods for several days can seem like a scary and daunting prospect to many, but juice fasting has become the new and most effective way to detox your organs, re-energise your mind, body and spirit and lose weight. Today’s society is consuming far too much fat, sugar and protein, and all too often as part of processed foods, which is overloading our insides and having a knock-on effect on our overall health and mood.

Exercise no longer has to be tedious and like a chore. Zumba is the world's largest dance fitness programme which has lifted exercise to the next platform with its mix of international music with dance. Lose weight, tone up and get fit whilst having fun with this Latin dance workout!