If health and fitness are on your list of life priorities but even thinking about starting a daily routine feels daunting, consider carving out some self-care time. Book a trip to one of these global wellness retreats in stunning locales to inspire some positive change and instill healthy habits that will endure.
1. Mindful Eating
Red Mountain Resort, St. Georege, Utah
Set between Utah’s otherworldly canyons, Red Mountain Resort specializes in week-long mindful eating retreats at the property’s Wellness Oasis. Fully customizable plans include healthy cooking demonstrations, thorough examinations of energy expenditures, custom personal fitness plans with unlimited access to group classes like pilates, and guided hikes through those eponymous red rocks. Packages from $2,200; dates throughout 2018
2. Shaman-Led Wellness
One&Only Palmilla, Mexico
A sanctuary with sweeping views of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, One&Only Palmilla recently announced the addition of a shaman-led wellness experience called Temzacal. Based on ancient traditions that emulate indigenous approaches to wellness, this day-long retreat uses various herbal remedies in detox baths and medicinal teas to purify the system and prepare you for a metaphorical rebirth into health. Sessions from $540; ongoing
3. A Moroccan Surfing Retreat
Paradis Plage, Morocco
A sports resort on a pristine stretch of beach just south of Marrakech, this property specializes in surf packages ranging from two to five days, for any level of fitness enthusiast. The most notable ones cover guided instruction by professionals, all rentals, and transfers between the most coveted swells that side of the Atlantic for a rigorous, total body workout. The Surf House also includes an indoor/outdoor fitness studio, CrossFit and Bootcamp courses, and nutritional and health evaluations upon request. From $200; ongoing
4. Sleep Therapy and Expert-Led Retreats
Six Senses Spa Kunfunadhoo, Maldives
With an emphasis on wellness (including an award-winning sleep therapy program) and resorts in exotic locales, the Six Senses properties also offer a rotating roster of visiting practitioners for a variety of health retreats. This January, head to the Maldives for complimentary aerobics and recovery massages with TRX-certified sports educator Sandra Laznik, then complete your exercise escape with personalized one-on-one fitness courses to begin the year on a healthy note. Treatments from $195; ongoing
5. A Body Holiday
BodyHoliday, St. Lucia
Yes—the property is actually called BodyHoliday, so you know it’s legit. With equal emphasis placed on body and mind, the Stronger Me detox and weight loss retreat offered at BodyHoliday’s Villa Firefly residence on St. Lucia features a unique combination of fitness and mental challenges aimed at creating healthy habits for life.
Ranging from hikes that help overcome fears and personal training courses led by certified trainers to nutrition analysis and customized menu creation by established nutritionists, BodyHoliday equips any retreat-goer with a take-home action plan to kick health into high gear. Packages from $4,700; through February
6. A Beachy, Adults-Only Health Overhaul
Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Along the storied Southern California coast is the famed Terranea resort. The Bungalows at Terranea are an adults-only retreat haven, with options for escapes of three, five, or seven days dedicated to overhauling health and establishing beneficial fitness regimes.
Beginning with a fitness consultation, each fully customizable experience can include as much or as little physical activity as participants desire. Activities include seaside cycling, kayaking, and coastal hikes. The best part? Each retreat package also comes with steep discounts for services at the resort’s award-winning spa. Bungalows from $3,000; ongoing
7. A Superfood and Fitness Trip in Napa
The Westin Verasa, Napa Valley, California
A new partnership between Napa Valley’s Westin Verasa Hotel and athletic company New Balance gets resort guests moving, while a chef-developed specialty SuperFoodsRX program provides a detoxifying menu to boost digestion and promote a healthy diet. Through the WestinWORKOUT Gear Lending Program, New Balance offers access to tailored apparel, accessories, shoes, and brand-new socks during a stay for unlimited use at the fitness studio’s LifeFitness and TRX machines, or, if you’d prefer, on the bocce courts. Rooms from $246; through 2018
8. A Doctor-Approved Fitness and Nutrition Makeover
Rancho La Puerta, Baja California, Mexico
Developed in conjunction with San Diego’s Lifewellness Institute, the Executive Wellness program at Rancho La Puerta is intended to ignite stalled well-being goals with a medical approach. The “original fitness destination” offers tools to meet long-term health potential by way of individualized attention from physicians and wellness and nutrition consultations, including laboratory work, and custom fitness plans developed by exercise specialists based on lab results, injuries, and goals.
Stays range from three to seven nights, and all trips begin with a one-night stay in San Diego before venturing to Mexico, where guests enjoy the property’s casitas as well as access to 32 acres of hiking trails and organic gardens. Packages from $3,500; ongoing
