The Fit for Life Retreat. Done.
Fit for Life Retreat. Done.
So I’m back in Blighty, still on a bit of a high from a fantastic week in Fuerteventura. The first ever Fit for Life retreat is…. Complete.
A group of people from the UK, Ireland, Germany and Russia joined me for a week of training, learning and enjoyment. There were friendships made, goals accomplished, challenges met and plenty of relaxation.
Everything I wanted.
What made the Fit for Life Retreat different?
From the outset, my goal was to put together a fitness retreat like no other. Lots of fitness holidays lack the care and attention, the variety and the details to make them memorable. Throwing a load of people into an aerobics class twice a day isn’t what I wanted from the Fit for Life retreat. I wanted more than that.
The week included HIIT classes, Pilates classes, 3 different types of yoga classes, mountain biking, surfing, climbing a volcano (really), massage and amazing food.
In my minds eye I had an idea of what I wanted the fit for life retreat to be like. With my name above the door, I wanted to deliver something I could be proud of. I’ve heard the horror stories from others who have been on retreats and wanted to make sure they didn’t happen to us.
With a lot of hard work and planning, the group had a great time.
The guests left Fuerte having learned more about fitness, yoga and Pilates. They tried new foods, hit personal accomplishments and deeply relaxed in their own private villa. With new memories and friendships formed, it has made me realise the value in the fit for life retreat and made me want to do more.
The plan is to run a couple per year – at the moment it’s all in the planning stage, but I’d like to run an April and October event.
A Few Reflections…
I arrived a couple of days early to prep and left three days after the fit for life retreat had finished. I used those days as a personal debrief and relax (I hadn’t taken a break since a 4 day work trip in March), so wanted a couple of days to enjoy the rest.
As I try to whenever I can, I reflected on the week that had been and the direction I want to move my work in future. Here’s a few things I realised…
- Winter sun is fantastic. I was sat on the beach whilst friends in England were hiding from the rain. I’m going to indulge in some winter sun more often. You should too. Vitamin D and all that…
- A change is as good as a rest. Yes, I was working, but I still managed to relax and have a great time. Working in new surroundings is good every now and then. If you work from home, maybe head to a coffee shop or similar.
- Outdoors is where life happens. I try to get outdoors a lot, but I will do more. Forget the weather, just prepare with more suitable clothing.
- Location independence is a great way to work. I’m going to do more of my work online, meaning I can work from anywhere. I’m currently making plans as to how I can do this.
- Holidays are great for families, if you make them so. I watched lots of couples sitting outside bars drinking whilst their kids played on the beaches – there was no interaction. I made a point of spending all of my downtime with the family and it was fantastic.
I had an email from an old colleague who saw the pictures of the retreat on Facebook. Basically, he said I was a lucky b****d for working in the sun!
He might be right. I’ll tell you something though, it didn’t feel ‘lucky’ whilst studying for exams, paying for courses, working 16 hour days, giving up weekends to go to seminars. He could have done that too, but he didn’t push himself and now works in a job he hates.
It reminds me of the Samuel Goldwyn quote…
“I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have.”
The fit for life retreat was a bit of a career high, but I’d like it to be the first of many.
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