Wellness travel is a growing trend. More people are becoming concerned about living not just longer but also better! We talk about life span but rarely talk about health span. We all know people who ended their lives bedridden in nursing homes waiting to be done. I know, a real downer of an image. One of the ways to improve your health span is to start participating in wellness travel. It can not only help extend your life but also increase your enjoyment of the life you have.
When most people think of wellness travel they think of a yoga retreat. But wellness travel can take many forms. You bet, your version may be a yoga retreat, but someone else’s may be volunteering to build house. A third person might be interested in eco-tourism – staying in a tree house and moving through the rain forest on elevated walkways.
With wellness travel there is no one-size fits all. Below are some thoughts on how you might get the most out of your travel experience. I am skipping over the standard questions like where would you like to go, how many are in your party, and what’s your budget and going straight to the wellness questions. (These are some of the questions I ask clients if they are interested booking wellness travel.)
What Do You Want To Do
This may seem like an obvious question, but it’s really not. Some people have only a vague idea of what activities are available. You need to ponder this for a while. Not only do you need to think about this, it needs to be a discussion with everyone going. There are all kinds of retreats with all kinds of activities. A short list includes: Yoga, Tai Chi, massages, fitness activities, meditation, swimming, tennis, hiking, boating, golf, learning new skills, environmental activities, spiritual activities, spa treatments, or structured exercise programs.
Do Your Research (or have your travel agent do the research for you)
We know some people that went on a yoga retreat and were miserable. Don’t fall into the trap of think that a yoga retreat is a yoga retreat is a yoga retreat. To start with there are many different types of yoga. Also, some retreats offer voluntary classes for 1 to 4 hours a day and the rest of the day is yours. Other retreats are full immersive retreats where your day is fully planned – including the meals. The couple we know ended up leaving the retreat several times because the meals were vegetarian, and they went to get a hamburger. Read the fine print and make sure the experience you are going to have is the one you expect to have.
Level of Activity
Most retreats will give you some idea of the level of physical activity you can expect while your there. Look for words like: easy, moderate, very active, and extreme to give you hints. We took a trip a few years ago large chain hotel in Mexico. I didn’t do enough research before going! There were no elevators on the property. I was recovering from a knee injury. Our room was on the fourth floor, so I had to go down 4 flights of stairs, then 2 more, cross by the pool, and then back up 2 flights to get a meal. After a couple of days, I found a way that I could go down the 4 flights and walk around the back of the property on ramps to eat. Twice the distance but fewer stairs.
There are some retreats that you will be on a bike for 30 to 60 miles a day or hiking up and down mountains with 100’s of feet in elevation changes. There are also retreats where you sleep in, down some mild stretching, and then lay by the pool. Again, it’s up to you to decide the level of activity you want.
What to eat
As mentioned earlier, we know a couple unhappy with the meal choices. Do you have specific dietary needs? Do you want macrobiotic, vegetarian, gluten-free, or paleo options? Do you want to help cook the food? Do you not want to worry about that and just eat? Are you looking for nutritional counseling as part of your trip?
What area do you want
Finally, the area you go to may be an important consideration to you trip. Some people want to be by water, That could be a lake, a river or the ocean. Looking at the water may be enough for you. Or you may water to be in or on the water – boating, surfing, or fishing. Do you want to be somewhere warm? Many people look to warmer climates during the winter. Is the desert your thing? Do you love the colors of the rising or setting sun over an arid landscape?
Final thoughts
I can ask you all the questions we cover in a blog post, but you should really consider adding wellness trip to your bucket list. Just make sure you have made the arrangements to have the most enjoyable and fulfilling experience you can.