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Taking your exercise program on the road
Are you happy with your fitness regimen? Or does the drudgery of, say, a spinning class make you feel like a lab rat on a hamster wheel? An emerging trend in fitness offers a new approach to working out—one that gets results and is fun to do. One trainer calls it a “fitness retreat,” taking his regimen on the road.
April 7 marked the first fitness retreat for Jason Weisberg of Advitam Sports. This Pound Ridge business, where 11 participants met up in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a four-day, three-night getaway at The Boulders Resort. Set against the beauty of the Sonora Desert, the resort proved a natural inspiration for the tri-athletes on hand, like Weisberg. But not every participant performed at that level; in fact, the only prerequisite for enrollment was simply an appreciation for fitness and a drive to improve one’s life.
“It’s not ability based. It’s desire based,” Weisberg says of his luxurious Advitam retreats that will include Kona, Hawaii; Napa Valley, California; and Montauk, New York. To that end, Advitam’s fitness retreats are geared toward marathoners looking for some serious leg-burning hikes as well as nine-to-fivers who just want to add a little spring to their step on morning runs in Bedford. No one is forced to lag behind or to be pushed too hard.
Advitam, which means “for life,” also addresses the strain serious training can put on one’s personal life. “It’s very couple friendly,” Weisberg adds, describing the plentiful opportunities for tandem participation—over a healthy breakfast, a morning yoga class, or even digesting a nutrition class together.
“We’re going to teach people to cook a little healthier,” he says of Advitam’s method of gentle persuasion toward healthy living. People can eat whatever they want on the gourmet menu, Weisberg says, but the suggested offerings have been tweaked so participants are inspired to make similar healthy changes in their kitchens.
To help boost participant’s mind/body balance, Advitam’s chief performance officer (CPO), and two-time International Triathlon Union world champion, Torbjørn Sindballe brings a BS in sports science and performance psychology to the educational discussions. For instance, an Ironman race is filled with highs and lows, says Weisberg, so coping and powering through is a necessity. The same can be applied to picking up the pace after lunch or motivating yourself to get to the track on a cold winter day.
The opportunity to return home and apply specific adjustments to personal fitness needs is only one benefit of these fitness retreats. Weisberg is confident of another, less-tangible, benefit his retreats provide. “I’ve trained in these places and I find it revitalizes me,” he concludes.
