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A Wide World of Wellness Travel

Most people have heard of wellness retreats and vacations, but too many people have the wrong connotation of what the word “wellness” really means. If you associate wellness trips with starvation and exhaustion from too much exercise, think again! That is a very narrow opinion of the bounty of amazing options available in wellness travel.

Beyond nutrition and physical wellbeing, your brain and heart are involved too. Limited vacation time is something most can relate to, which makes it important to make vacation choices that suit you. It may not be wise to choose a yoga retreat if yoga is not your thing. Similarly, don’t choose a snowshoe trip if you don’t like the cold. Think about what you really want and need out of a wellness trip. Use that information to guide you.

Here are some ideas to get started on finding your personalized wellness trip.

• Exercise/Fitness Trips: Do you love to run? Swim? Is cross fit the best thing that happened to your fitness life? Is yoga class your favorite part of the day? There are wellness trips geared toward any of these fitness activities and many more. Start your search with where in the world you would like to be and plug in your activity of choice. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box if you can’t find an organized trip that checks all your boxes. Running + Italy could = a 10K in Tuscany by planning your trip around the race. CrossFit + NYC could = a one-week unlimited membership at the best cross fit studio. Simply plan your trip around class times.
• Food/Cooking Trips: Food is often one of the most important factors in deciding where people take vacations. Luckily, most organized wellness trips include both delicious and healthy meals and snacks. If food really is your thing, then why not take food a step further in your vacation. Find a cooking class and learn some new skills to take back to your home kitchen. If you aspire to eat a Mediterranean diet, plan a trip to Greece and take some cooking classes. You will be surrounded by culinary inspiration!
• Outdoor Adventures: Is hiking always a part of your day off? How about skiing? Biking? If outdoor activity brings you joy, then you should absolutely include it in your vacation. This is an area where you can shoot for the moon. There are almost infinite possibilities to explore. Consider a cross-country skiing trip in the mountains of Colorado. Imagine a historic, hiking adventure to Hadrian’s Wall in the UK. Getting outside on vacation provides more benefit than just physical activity. You have a chance to get to know and see a place off the beaten path.
• Relaxation Trips: In today’s world where we are always on the go and plugged in, sometimes what we need most is relaxation. Managing stress and being present are important parts of wellness. If you are feeling fried and overwhelmed, then maybe a spa vacation filled with pampering can provide the rejuvenation your body needs. If you have that nagging feeling you need to get away from it all, then a remote cabin in the woods may do the trick.

A wellness trip should be about you. Pick and choose the ideas that resonate with you and build your personalized wellness vacation!

Do you have a favorite wellness trip? Tell our team at Eat, Heal, Travel via our Twitter or Facebook page. Eat well, live long, and travel far!