5 Incredible Travel Destinations For Health And Fitness Lovers

When we choose places to travel, many of us end up tied into the same old routine. We’ll find a nice, hot and sunny location and book in for a beach holiday with an all inclusive resort. This is understandable. These breaks can be great fun and ideal for kicking back and relaxing away from the troubles of day to day life. Alternatively, you find that many people book in city breaks and make an itinerary of all the different cultural sights and locations they want to fit in while they’re there. But these aren’t the only two types of holiday to choose from - as great as they are. Remember that there are alternatives. You want to make sure you consider all of your options before committing to a trip and spending on it, right? For your next break, why not consider a trip that will benefit your health and fitness instead? An active trip with a purpose to better your overall well being! This comes hand in hand with a host of benefits - physical, mental and emotional - and could be one of the best getaways you ever take! If this sounds good to you, here are some key activities and travel destinations you might want to try out!

Snowboarding, Austria

If you want a truly active holiday that’s going to give you a good physical workout in stunning scenery, you might want to consider a snowboarding break in Austria. This will give you a tough physical workout in beautiful scenery with a great added adrenaline rush. Austria is an ideal snowboarding destination year round thanks to its climate and its landscape accommodates every type of snowboarder, from absolute beginners to pros. Trying out snowboarding here will also generally be a lot cheaper than other options in France, where you could find yourself forking out a fortune for a similar experience. Another reason we recommend Austria for your snowboarding break? The accommodation tends to be a bit more enjoyable. Sure, the huge, purpose built, corporate locations in major ski and snowboard resorts can provide you with great customer service and a reliable experience, but the smaller villages based in Austria can often offer a more authentic and enjoyable all round experience. They tend to accommodate both tourists and locals, with some snowboarding schools even offering accommodation, equipment and training at a reasonable price in bundle packages. Plus, snowboarding isn’t all that these places have to offer. You can take a rest from the slopes in great local restaurants, cafes and other facilities. This is a great all round trip! Just make sure to take essentials you could easily forget, such as sunglasses from here to protect your eyes, goggles and sunscreen.

Snowboarding health benefits include:

Burning calories

Strengthens lower body muscles

Improves flexibility

Improves balance

Engages core muscles

Boosts mood

Deep Sea Diving, Australia

If you prefer to get your workout in the water, why not try something truly astounding and a once in a lifetime experience to get your water based workout? Head to Australia’s great barrier reef and try out some deep sea diving! The Great Barrier Reef is commonly know to be the world’s largest coral reef system, with almost 3000 individual reefs, 600 continental islands, and 300 coral cays. This is a huge and magnificent site where you will get much more than a workout alone. Instead, you can dive on in with a host of activities, from snorkelling the shallows to all out deep-sea dives. To go scuba diving you’ll need to take a course. This PADI dive shop offers a few options when it comes to courses. This will teach you how to breathe and how to equalise pressure in your ears. Both scuba diving and snorkelling are a full body workout. While you workout, you could see up to 1,500 species of marine fish, 360 types of hard corals, six species of turtles and 30 species of whales and dolphins - all in delightful water temperatures ranging between 24-33 degrees Celsius on average during summer.

Health benefits of deep sea diving include:

Improved blood circulation

Increased concentration

Improved mood

Stress relief

Cardiovascular workout from swimming

Coast to Coast Hiking, Bali 

If hiking is more your type of workout, we’d recommend a trip to Bali. Hiking really is a great workout while you’re away, as it allows you to pair up good quality exercise with being able to see some of the most beautiful sights that you could imagine. You won’t even think of this as exercise when you get used to it, as it becomes so natural and you’ll be largely focused on what’s going on around you. It’s slow paced, but effective. Now, when it comes to hiking locations, there are countless options around the world. But for now, let’s focus on coast to coast hiking in Bali. Many of us tend to associate Bali with its beautiful beaches and rainforest-like plants and trees. But you could start exploring the area further on foot, taking a break from sunbathing. There are plenty of lovely and quaint valleys around that pave a path through stunning mountaintops, jungles, hot springs and waterfalls. You may also want to explore the country’s rice fields and plantations on foot while you’re there too! Just make sure to take a guided tour, as this significantly reduces your chances of getting lost or finding yourself in areas you might rather avoid. There are hikes suitable for people of all fitness levels and levels of experience, from short hikes on relatively flat terrain to longer and more difficult or intense hikes. Make sure to invest in a good pair of walking boots, sunscreen and thick, comfortable socks when engaging with this kind of trip.

Health benefits of hiking include:

Cardiovascular workout

Increased strength in legs

Improved balance

Lower blood pressure

Lower cholesterol

Reduced stress levels

Improved mood

 Yoga, Thailand

 Yoga is another great practice you might want to try out. Sure, there may be classes close to home that you could engage with. But why not try out yoga at a dedicated yoga resort in Thailand? Sure, a few classes can teach you the basics, but going to a retreat or yoga resort can fully immerse you in the practice, helping you to have an enjoyable time while you hone the skill and practice of yoga. These yoga schools generally create a calming atmosphere in a tranquil haven, with plenty of professionally run classes in yoga, tantra, meditation, mindfulness and countless other related activities. You may even find yoga schools with sessions dedicated to lectures and workshops that will help to perfect your form and stances, as well as giving you a much deeper understanding and in-depth knowledge of the ancient art that you’re practicing there. This is a relaxing and invigorating experience at the same time!

Yoga health benefits include:

Increased core strength

Increased flexibility

Improved balance

Relaxation

Spa at the Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Remember that your mental health is important too - and you need to relax every once in a while! If pure relaxation is what you’re looking for, why not consider the spa at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon in Grindavik. This isn’t all too far from Reykjavik, the most visited place in Iceland, and is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Put simply, the Blue Lagoon is a  natural geothermal spa. It has beautiful blue waters, lined with silica mud that can be sourced from the silica bar in the lagoon itself. These masks are great for your skin and the spa’s man-made waterfall can also provide comforting massages to relieve sore muscles. Plus, there are a range of saunas, steam rooms and other spa facilities to enjoy!

These are just a few health and fitness holidays you might want to enjoy! Research each and find the ones that will best tick your boxes!­­

Photo by Benjamin Rascoe on Unsplash