Wellness Retreat Buying Guide

Why Visit a Health and Wellness Retreat?

Your guide to finding the retreat that has everything you need to get on your true path to health and wellness.

Wellness Retreat Buying Guide 2

Going away to a health and wellness retreat offers a number of incredible benefits, which can vary depending on the specific retreat. The primary benefit of any health retreat, even if a person exercises regularly or eats healthfully, is that a retreat allows someone to get out of their day to day routine and life stressors to really focus on specific health and wellness goals. Being away at a retreat allows the person to get incredible results in as little as four days or a week. Ordinarily, those kinds of great results might take them a year or more in their normal day-to-day environment.

The benefits of a health retreat are as varied as a person’s goals. Some are looking for a complete lifestyle change, others to push past their current level of fitness, and others for a reboot.

Wellness Retreat Buying Guide 3

How to Evaluate a Health and Wellness Retreat

There are many great options for health and wellness retreats, so before deciding on one there are a number of things to consider. Some basic considerations are: how long do you want to stay; how far are you willing to travel; how much are you willing to spend; and your preference for the local climate. Also, your personal goals and individual preferences should be accounted for when selecting a retreat.

When deciding on a retreat, consider the following aspects:

Accommodations and AmenitiesSome health retreats are designed to be more like camping experiences with only a few amenities. Alternately, all-inclusive retreats provide guests with a complete luxury experience and an array of resort amenities such as a spa, fitness center, multiple outdoor pools, 18-hole golf courses, tennis courts, and extensive outdoor space.

Type of Program Offered

There are many types of health and wellness retreats available. Some are more strict “boot camps” that offer fitness and nutrition, others may be western medical-based, while others are eastern-influenced offering restorative and holistic options. Alternatively, some retreats offer an integrated holistic approach, with the best of western and eastern philosophies.

Program Flexibility

At some retreats, guests can pick and choose what activities they want to do. Others are fixed programs where the entire group follows the same schedule. While others have a highly structured approach where each guest’s schedule is custom designed by a team according to their specific health and wellness goals. The ideal program is designed to achieve the best results for you, both during your stay and after you return home.

Wellness Retreat Buying Guide 4

Class Size

Many health retreats have up to 40 or more people in their fitness classes or educational workshops. This type of class size creates a high-energy environment, but guests do not receive as much individual attention. If you would like more attention on your individual goals, select a program that is limited to 5-10 guests. A smaller class size ensures guests get a completely personalized experience in a more exclusive environment.

Personalization and Individual Attention

Many health and wellness retreats offer a standard program for every guest, where each guest has a similar plan and experience. If you are looking to create real change in your health and well-being, you are better suited to a retreat that offers completely customized programs based on your specific health goals, fitness level, lifestyle, health history and other individual factors. Typically, this type of place provides more one-on-one individual attention than any other health retreat.

Food Quality and Sourcing

The quality of food can have a big impact on your experience. Is it important that you have access to organic, farm-to-table seasonal food? Do you want your meals designed by a nutritionist specific to your needs? Do you have specific food requirements, such as gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, or a vegetarian lifestyle? Find out if the retreat you are considering has a chef who tailors food to meet your specific needs.

Behavior and Lifestyle Changes Most health and wellness retreats provide guests a great experience while they are there. However, if you are looking to make real, lasting behavior and lifestyle changes, there are some specific program qualities you need to consider. For long-term results, consider a retreat that discusses sustainable lifestyle changes, not quick fixes. A program that is designed to create lasting lifestyle changes provides guests with educational workshops and one-on-one consultations designed to give them the tools they need to gain control over their health and wellness.

Wellness Retreat Buying Guide 5

All-Inclusive or A La Carte Program

At some health retreats, you pay for room and board, then you simply pay for each class that you choose to attend. This type of retreat is a la carte style and lets you pick your schedule and classes. This is ideal if you are on a strict budget. Other retreats are sold as “all-inclusive” packages, but they may only include certain group classes or options. These retreats may offer options such as medical, behavioral, individual consultations, etc., however they are often in addition to the basic all-inclusive fee.

If you want to have everything included, a truly all-inclusive health and wellness retreat is your best option. An all-inclusive retreat does not have hidden fees and includes a comprehensive wellness approach to fitness, medical, nutrition and wellness. These types of retreats may cost more up front, but they include everything you need to get the best results possible, such as private, one-on-one personal training, individual nutrition consultations, behavioral counseling, educational workshops and medical evaluation. They also include complete medical labs; farm-to-table, organic meals and snacks; personalized nutrition plans; and after-care coaching.

Fitness Levels Accommodations Many retreats offer fixed fitness programs that are very intense and designed to get quick results. For retreats with larger class sizes, there is little accommodation for different fitness levels. These types of retreats work well for people looking for a temporary fitness challenge and to be part of a large group. Smaller, boutique-sized retreats provide personalization to accommodate all fitness levels. Retreats offering smaller class sizes are able to cater to all types of guests, from sedentary to professional athletes, and are best suited to people looking for custom, individualized attention.

4 Must-Have Amenities

When looking for the right health and wellness retreat, be sure that your top choices offer these 4 must-have amenities:

1. 5-Star Accommodations: The quality of the accommodations is important because key components in achieving wellness include rest and relaxation.

2. Choices for Exercise and Recreation: Everyone has different preferences for the form of exercise used to acquire those benefits. An abundance of choice helps to make the routine of exercise anything but.

3. Gourmet, Organic Food: The path to wellness requires that you fuel your body with only the healthiest, most nutritious foods. Dining on farm fresh, locally grown food produced without pesticides and chemicals helps to assure your return to wellness.

4. Customized Programs: You are unique. The top wellness retreats recognize your individuality and work to tailor a program specifically to your needs.

Wellness Retreat Buying Guide 6

Are Medical Assessments Really Necessary?

During the process of searching for a health and wellness retreat, you may have noticed that a handful of retreats discuss “medical assessments.” When selecting the right retreat for you, it’s essential that you understand what a medical assessment means and how it relates to health and wellness. A medical assessment gives the staff at your wellness retreat a true picture of the real you. It establishes your starting point on the journey to wellness. But it must be a comprehensive assessment to offer an accurate view of your location on the path to wellness.

A complete medical assessment will include:

• Complete blood tests• Vital signs measurements and assessments• Weight and body composition measurements • Aerobic testing• Flexibility and range-of-motion testing• Strength and endurance evaluations• Balance testing and assessments• Posture and alignment assessments• Neuromuscular assessment• In-depth, one-on-one review and consultation with a doctor

It’s also crucial that in-house doctors at your wellness retreat spend time reviewing your health history. Knowing where you’ve been is often crucial in charting where you need to go on the journey to wellness.

Wellness Retreat Buying Guide 7

How Much Does It Cost?

With health and wellness retreats, many times you get what you pay for. If the price seems lower than you expected, be sure to look at what is included. The same is true if the cost seems to be higher than you expected.

A truly all-inclusive retreat often offers the best value for the cost: 5-Star accommodations; all organic, farm-to-table meals, one-on-one individual consultations with health experts, blood labs and consults with doctors, behavioral health coaching, private airport pick up, and after-care coaching. Whether you select a less expensive retreat or a more costly all-inclusive retreat, remember that what you pay is really an investment into your long-term health and quality of life, which is priceless.

As you can see there are a lot of variables to consider when choosing a health and wellness retreat. Guests should do their research before choosing a retreat by looking carefully at the retreat’s website, talking to the sales staff, and looking for reviews from actual past guests.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort 7100 Aviara Resort Drive

Carlsbad, CA 92011 800.527.1936 toll-free www.VeraViaFit.cominfo@VeraViaFit.com

Visit veraviafit.com to learn more about the benefits of the programs offered at VeraVia.