I AM PRIVILEGED to have taught my Midlife Fitness program at some of the world’s most beautiful wellness resorts, and my next destination – Amanpuri in Thailand, is no exception.
Wellness destinations offer people rare and valuable refuge from their fast-paced lifestyles and offer the opportunity for complete personal renewal. The elegant surroundings provide the perfect space and facilities to nourish and revitalise both the body and state of mind.
The search for renewal in the solace of nature is an eternal practice of humanity. According to a study published by researchers from RMIT University in Australia, individuals who attended a week-long therapeutic retreat experienced positive, health-enhancing effects.
The study showed improved weight loss and blood pressure as participants attained positive outlooks and healthy states of mind.
All pretty obvious benefits – I thought, but less obvious outcomes were the maintenance of positive moods and a greater sense of wellbeing after returning to normal busy lives.
When I watch people arrive at a wellness resort, I can see the relief on their faces and how quickly they relax in sync with the surrounding’s sounds, aromas, beauty, and energy. They become acutely aware of their natural balance and how rapidly their bodies react and align with the environment.
Empowering exercises that soothe and support all areas of the body help them regain their natural sense of physical balance and wellbeing.
They will lose the desire to beast their body with overly stressful exercises because there is just no need. This is the environment to sculpt the body naturally and progressively with a focus on self-awareness.
My clients are divided into three groups: never stopped exercising, lapsed training, and never exercised. The Midlife Fitness program will encourage all three groups to get into or continue exercising – to increase their quality of life, focus on their health goals and have fun.
After 30, you can lose up to 5% muscle mass every decade. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that, with proper exercise, older people can avoid muscle weakness and frailty.
Strength training is, therefore, vital to counterbalance muscle wastage, and cardiovascular health becomes more critical than ever. The aerobic exercises in the program help to relax blood vessels over time and keep the heart running well and blood pressure low.
Many people aged 45+ aspire to look and feel younger and prefer to be defined by their activities and interests, not by their age.
My training fosters a ‘tribe’ concept of ‘We’re in this together’. While we accept that the body ages, we choose not to give up exercising – unlike many who believe it is just too difficult to continue.
My clients do not want to fall prey and surrender to old age or use it as an excuse to stop caring about the condition of their bodies and minds. They are intrinsically motivated to exercise to combat the ageing process as a matter of resolution – will over matter.
DAILY TRAINING
Here, the magic happens – with two training sessions a day (JUMPGA & KUN-AQUA) focused on gain and not deprivation.
I get everyone doing 16:8 Intermittent Fasting to boost their fitness performance and physical health. It does not emphasise what you eat but when you eat. You stop eating after dinner and skip having breakfast, 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating.
Each day builds upon the previous day so that you will quickly start feeling more energised, engaged and empowered to make and maintain healthier choices when you return to your everyday life.
A wellness vacation is more than a ‘Fitness Camp’. It is a way that supports and celebrates who you are, what you are and where you are going.