When the concept of a “fitness retreat” is brought up, it’s often associated with a big expense. Plane tickets to exotic locations, resort fees, and professional trainers can consume your budget before you even break a sweat.
If you’re interested in a fitness retreat but you’re held up by the price tag, you’re not alone. The good news is, there are many ways that you can create your own budget-friendly fitness retreats.
They may not create an excuse for a fabulously expensive overseas vacation. Nevertheless, the following retreat options are great ways to shake up the monotony of your daily fitness regimen. And all without breaking the bank in the process.
1. Water Retreats
Most exercise routines involve things like jogging, using home exercise equipment, or hitting up the local gym. Sure, you may have a pool option somewhere, but apart from swimming laps, the aquatic activities are few and far between. If you’re looking for a fun way to cobble together a getaway focused on your health, consider steering into the water option.
Water-based activities aren’t just fun, they’re challenging, exhausting, and exhilarating. They’re also diverse. For instance, if you can find a nearby body of water to visit, you can incorporate activities like:
- Kayaking and canoeing: Rowing is a wonderful way to get some exercise. From soloing in a kayak to joining others in a canoe, the activity is a great way to get your blood up and burn those calories.
- Swimming: Laps in a pool are nothing compared to the freedom of a larger body of water. If you can swim unfettered in a lake or oceanside, it can free your body and your mind.
- Surfing and paddle boarding: If you can find a place with waves, surfing is endlessly entertaining. Even if you only have calm water, you can stay busy and sweaty for hours with a good paddle boarding
- Water sports: From racing in kayaks to playing water polo, there are many games you can engage in when you’re in the water. The participation and competition from others can also add a friendly, group effort to your retreat setting.
Water retreats offer a variety of different fitness activities. And the best part is, you can often get access to that H2O for pennies on the dollar — or even for free.
2. Hiking Retreats
Jogging and walking are common daily exercises. This offers one of the best ways to leverage your everyday ambulatory routine into a budget-friendly fitness retreat. Rather than jogging on the treadmill or walking at a local park, plan a hiking retreat.
There are countless trails that can be hiked all over the United States. You can plan a short retreat at a series of local trails. You can also go all-in and head up to an area like the Adirondacks for a few days or even a week.
The good news is, this requires minimal expenses. If you go with a group (which is recommended for safety) you can cut costs by camping. All you need is thirty bucks or so for a campground and your own tent and personal items. Buy some bulk camping food on your way to the trail and your retreat is good to go.
3. Beach Retreats
Water retreats were already discussed. However, there is another nearby area that can also serve as the perfect low-cost fitness retreat: the beach. There are many activities to participate in when you’re on the beach, such as:
- Walking and running;
- Bodyweight workouts;
- Playing volleyball;
- Setting up a mini fitness boot camp with others.
The best part is, if you’re at the beach, you also can often get access to the water itself. When that’s the case, you can craft a unique, low-cost retreat that incorporates both water- and beach-based activities.
4. Staycation Retreats
Just because you like the idea of a fitness retreat doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to travel to participate in one. If that’s the case, you can set up a retreat right in the comfort of your own home. Staycations are a popular way to check out — especially during a pandemic.
If you do opt to do a retreat at home, though, it’s important that you make an effort to shake things up. Look into something like Gains Everyday equipment to upgrade your at-home workouts. Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy foods to keep you going. Do everything in your power to ensure that your time “away from home” challenges your fitness in new and exciting ways.
5. Remote-Friendly Retreats
Finally, along with the concept of a staycation, you can also put on a remote fitness retreat. This utilizes the power of tech to bring your fellow workout friends, gym rats, and exercise junkies together. There are many ways to unite via the cloud at this point, even when you’re working out.
For instance, you can workout together using an online app like Dance2Fit or FitOn. Many of these cloud-based workout platforms offer virtual “group activities.” You can also create a Facebook Group or some other online communication hub. This can provide a remote area where your group can gather and stay in touch. You can set goals, make plans, and share fitness resources.
The concept of a fitness retreat can feel expensive and unreachable. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. With a little forethought, planning, and creativity, you can create a fun, healthy retreat on the cheap. In fact, for many of the above suggestions, the costs are minimal — even if the results are still impressive.
So, the next time you’re daydreaming about an opportunity to get away and focus on your health, don’t stop there. Start thinking of how you can turn the thought into reality. Find friends that share your interest. Then choose one of the affordable options (or even more than one) listed above and plan your retreat. You’ll be glad you did, the moment that sweat starts beading up on your brow and you feel your muscles start to burn.
