If spending your precious vacation time fully sedated goes against your nature, we have the perfect remedy. Five of them, actually.
By Marcy Silberman

Spring is the perfect time of year for self-rejuvenation, if not to get in tip-top shape for those days on the beach then to simply feel great from the inside out.

Around the world, resorts and retreats have defined luxury and exclusivity in regards to health. These getaways aren’t for lounging by the pool, cocktail in one hand and book in the other. Rather, this is your chance for a long weekend or seven-day rendezvous in an exotic location — be it the beach, the wilderness or the tropics — where the focus is your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

So, pack your bags, take that week off from work you’ve been saving and head out for an experience that will uplift, revamp and center your inner and outer self so you can take on the world in stellar form.

Bella Vita Retreat
Pompano Beach, Florida
An easy plane ride to the Sunshine State will land you at The Ocean Sands Resort and Spa in Pompano Beach — where this boutique retreat offers its treatments — for a 12-person, six-day/night beach boot camp that will whip you into shape or maintain your top form. If the banality of the treadmill has you dreaming of vigorously sweating on a sun-drenched beach through a hardcore regimen of kickboxing, running, hiking, yoga, pilates, spinning and core exercise, among other disciplines, Bella Vita is the place for you. Refuel from your hard days of work with healthy, gourmet cuisine served three times a day, as well as Swedish, aromatherapy and deep tissue massages that will keep you limber and pain-free.

Fun Fact: Get into gear with the BodyBugg Calorie Tracking Device (as seen on “The Biggest Loser”).1-800-768-5708; www.bvretreat.com

Alive Resort for Wellness and Longevity
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
The name says it all. Located in the Monashee Mountains, Alive guests submit to a program that combines health education and “lifestyle training.” In other words, reducing stress is as important here as following the proper diet and workout. The setting could not be better suited for such treatment, between the abundance of fresh air, tranquil sounds of trickling water and picturesque scenery. Customization is key at Alive, where guests create a program that is specific to their personal needs based upon one of several platforms: Health Enhancement (nutrition/fitness/stress management), Business Executive (health and workplace performance improvement for high-powered, high-stress individuals), Weight Loss (education/treatment of food disorders and dependencies), Stress Management (education/treatment/management of stress), Lifestyle Training for People Coping with Illness (education to improve quality of life in spite of illness) and Lifestyle Live-in (an extended stay at the resort). Regardless of the avenue you select, rest assured that complete and total pampering is a given — AVEDA spa and body treatments and gourmet meals for starters. And, Alive even removes the anxiety of losing your healthy habits upon checkout. Health coaching is available by phone long after you leave.

Fun fact: Don’t consider Alive if remaining connected is a consideration. There’s no reception here. Seriously.1-888-763-4744; www.aliveresort.com

Maya Tulum Wellness Retreat and Spa
Tulum, Mexico
Just an hour away from the vibrant party scene that is Cancun lies this serene seaside retreat, chock-full of good vibrations for the body, mind and soul. The Mind-Body-Spirit package emphasizes how integral balance is to everything that transpires here, from indulging in the locally-influenced gourmet cuisine to jogging along the breathtaking beaches. Through twice-daily yoga sessions and spa treatments, along with a pair of half-day tours (snorkeling, swimming and excursions to the Tulum Ruins, Coba Ruins, the Aktun Chen caverns and the Xunaan Ha Cenote freshwater holes), the idea is to decompress and rebuild, slowly and methodically, paying careful attention to the ways in which the body and the mind act in concert.

Fun fact: Forget the traditional resort hotel room that overlooks the beach. At Maya Tulum, guests stay on the beach in well-appointed thatched-roof cabanas.1-888-515-4580; www.mayatulum.com

Rancho La Puerta
Tecate, Mexico
San Diego may only be an hour away, but once you’ve been to Rancho La Puerta, it’s hard to imagine it as a part of any world you’ve ever known, particularly one where the ebb and flow of daily life moves at a feverish pace. Rancho La Puerta blends seamlessly with the stunning mountainous landscape of Baja California. The views alone are worth the trip. But they are by no means the only reason to visit. With a dizzying array of activities available to suit every taste, Rancho La Puerta is a playground for adults. There are the typical spa offerings like yoga, hiking and strength and flexibility training and then there are the atypical: cooking classes, jewelry-making and drawing and painting workshops, bird watching and discussions on a wide variety of subjects. So, you determine the pace, whether it’s full speed ahead or comfortable and easy. And, with a one-to-one guest to acreage ratio, you’ll have all the space you’ll need to clear your head and decide.

Fun fact: Set your TiVO before you leave. While over $10 million was spent to renovate the resort, the lavish accommodations do not include TVs. Chances are, though, that you’ll never notice.1-800-443-7565; www.rancholapuerta.com

Chiva-Som International Health Resort
Hua Hin, Thailand
While traveling halfway around the world may not sound all that enticing to some, know that the effort and aggravation will prove worthwhile at this renowned spa and holistic health center whose traditional Thai treatments are a truly revitalizing experience. Each guest is assigned a health and wellness advisor — a qualified natural health practitioner — who is dedicated to ensuring that his guest’s every need and goal is met. The individualized treatment carries over to the various educational lectures that are used to supplement the spa treatment. The advisors also shape the diet throughout the course of the guest’s stay. The array of available programs range from the deeply spa-centered (the Ultimate Detox features deep toxin-cleansing and colonic hydrotherapy) to the holistic health-minded to the fitness-driven.

Fun fact: Where the cuisine is usually an afterthought at even some top-notch retreats, not at Chiva-Som. SpaFinder magazine presented it with its reader’s choice award for best spa cuisine and SpaAsia magazine recognized it for having the best spa cuisine menu.+66-0-32-536-536; www.chivasom.com

1. How many men look at you with desire? Your weight is the main problem! But I know, how to loose weight!

   Posted by Jane Atkinson | February 19, 2010, 1:12 pm

2. Quite interesting. I usually take at least 2 retreats per year.

   Posted by Danieli | April 1, 2010, 1:09 am

3. I am so happy I found this website. It gives so much information about places and products. I was wondering if you could talk about vitamins and their importance?>

   Posted by b vitamin | June 11, 2010, 5:21 pm