Wellness

Grab your diary as we share some holiday ideas to inspire you! Take a look at our useful infographic and secure more time off work next year and double your leave thanks to our bank holidays in 2018. Get in touch with one of our travel specialists to tailor-make your perfect wellness holiday today.  

Dr. Manuela Figini

Dr. Manuela Figini is a highly accomplished Medical Doctor at Longevity Wellness Resort in Portugal, with an extensive knowledge in Aesthetic, preventive and ageing management. She has an impressive medical background of 40 years' experience and is the Clinical Director of the Longevity Medical Spa practice, where she is responsible for all the medical aspects of each programme and discipline, covering areas such as acupuncture, ozone therapy and aesthetic medicine. She taught pathology at the College of Nursing, was the resident doctor at Vila Real Hospital, and studied Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery. She also holds qualifications in Acupuncture, Aesthetic Medicine, Anti- Ageing Medicine and Ozone Therapy

Holidays are commonly viewed as an opportunity to blow out, let loose, forget the diet, care about it later etc., the only problem being, you get home and beat yourself up about doing so. Of course, holidays are all about enjoying yourself, but maintaining some balance and keeping your body healthy may mean that you really enjoy your vacation and regret less later. One area of the body which is most affected by the holiday blowout is the gut, so how do we minimise the harm on our digestive tract?

It doesn’t seem to matter how much we intend to grab those solid 8 hours a night. Life happens, things change and we often cram so damn much into every single day that we push life to the limits and get away with as little sleep as we can.

Obviously, the best thing longer term is to consider why this is happening and make some healthy choices about getting real with yourself. But for those morning when you have no choice and you just can’t deal:

This year, World Health Day (Sunday 7th April) is focusing on High Blood Pressure, an issue which affects 1 in 3 adults ever year. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure and if left untreated can cause blindness and heart failure. However, high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. We asked some of our spa holiday experts for their top tips to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

In recent years there has been a growing focus on what our biological age, rather than our chronological age, can tell us about our bodies and overall health. Proving that age really is nothing but a number; someone with a chronological age of 35, leading an unhealthy lifestyle may have the health and body of someone in their early 40s. In contrast, someone of the same age with a healthy lifestyle could have the biological age of someone 5 years younger. Due to the way different habits can affect our bodies; our lifespan is determined in part by our telomeres, which hold our DNA together. Over time these shorten, eventually breaking down completely, but the rate at which this happens can be affected by our mental and physical lifestyles.

How are you feeling? No, really, can you pause reading this text for a moment and ask yourself what is going on inside of yourself? What is happening with you at this moment?

The key to your mental and spiritual well-being is to slowly but surely become your own therapist, your own guru.

There is undoubtedly an art to packing a short stay bag. Get it right and you have everything you need, neatly packed up in a handy, easily transportable case. Get it wrong, however, and you either have outfits that don’t work and missing toiletries, or find yourself over-encumbered with unnecessary items.

Recycle your old travel guides and dive into the digital rabbit hole of Pinterest for the ultimate way to plan your healthy holiday. Create a board for your virtual bucket list and set your imagination free with a wealth of information at your fingertips. The saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ has never been more apt when used in relation to the breath-taking and inspiring images that fill Pinterest’s pages.

Recycle your old travel guides and dive into the digital rabbit hole of Pinterest for the ultimate way to plan your healthy honeymoon using social media. As a newly engaged couple, create a board for you and your partner’s virtual bucket list and set your imagination free with a wealth of information at your fingertips. The saying,‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ has never been more apt when used in relation to the breath-taking and inspiring images that fill Pinterest’s pages.

Man, I feel like a woman. Visiting a spa may not be every bloke's cup of tea, but massages and facials aren't only for women. Are you stressed and need some rest and recovery? Looking for a quick getaway to be pampered or need a good detox? Why don't you pop into a spa and be restored. OK, I know what you're thinking, men… going to spas… ahh what a complete joke! Those places are a hazard for men, one foot in and I will come out like a hairless chicken, smelling like peaches! But that's not the way to think.

The uncertainty of Brexit has U.K. Citizens wondering if they should wait to book a retreat and put their wellness goals on hold thus requiring answers to important questions that will impact their decision. If I book through a travel company or travel alone to Europe will I need a new Visa? Can I update my friends back home with my current phone provider without extra charges? How will the pound correlate to the currency at my destination? Will I be spending an arm and a leg to have walking around money abroad? All these questions and many more are understandable and worthy of an inquiry. Be ready to pack up for a holiday unlike any other with our many relaxing and invigorating retreats as you are good to go.

Paul Joseph, co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel talks about how yoga changed his life for the better.

Ten years ago I had a car accident which sent me down a path of holistic health to discover  yoga through rehabilitation. I had damaged my lower back and was trying to avoid a back operation by having weekly osteopathy which really helped. I was unable to stand for long periods of time without being in pain and had to give up my favourite sports as well as regular gym sessions.

Paul Joseph, co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel talks about how he found yoga and why it's changed his life for the better.

Ten years ago I had a car accident which sent me down a path of holistic health to discover yoga through rehabilitation. I had damaged my lower back and was trying to avoid a back operation by having weekly osteopathy which really helped. I was unable to stand for long periods of time without being in pain and had to give up my favourite sports as well as regular gym sessions.

by: SKINS

We all know compression sportswear is tight, but so is pretty much everything else we exercise in, so what’s all the fuss about? Can a little extra squeeze really fight fatigue, reduce the risk of injury, speed up recovery and boost performance?

The short answer to all of those is yes, and to prove it, here are a few fast facts from sportswear brand SKINS to help you get to grips with their high-performance gear.

Paul Joseph

Paul Joseph is co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel, experts in tailor-made healthy holidays worldwide. He searches for the rare and hidden gems around the world and puts together exclusive and trend-setting holidays for those who would like to improve or maintain their health and fitness whilst on holiday. As well as a love of all things travel, Paul's other love is exercise, cycling and yoga. Paul also contributes to the travel pages of various high-profile newspapers and magazines where he offers his expert advice on wellness holidays.

Karsten Kroll is the resident yoga teacher at Paradis Plage, and has been practising yoga and contemporary dance for over 25 years, giving him deep of knowledge of form, technique and an appreciation for the grace, potential and limitations of the human body. The drive towards having the ability to focus on the present moment, of finding mind-body connection and to bring overall well-being, led Karsten to study with several yoga training schools in Bali and Morocco. Karsten has further developed his skills as a yoga teacher by learning Yin and Yang styles as well as Myofascial Ball Roll & Release. He invites his students to explore their potential through his classes.

Lyndall Mitchell

Lyndall Mitchell is Australia’s foremost wellness expert with more than 20 years leading the wellness sector in Australia. She is the Founder and CEO of Aurora Spa, the country’s award-winning urban spa that employs more than 100 staff. The spa is internationally renowned for treatments and products that maximize therapeutic benefits as well as delivering a sublime, restorative spa experience. Executive Wellbeing Coaching is a natural extension of her life experience in wellness. She offers her clients a deep knowledge of all aspects of wellbeing as well as insights gained from leading a fast-growth retail and wholesale business. 

Damien Rider

Damien Rider, founder of PACA (Paddle Against Child Abuse), stands firm by his calling to change lives and let disadvantaged children know that there are good people to help them. Also carrying the title of Men's Health Man for 2015, he furthers his mission by extending his reach and serving as a role model for kids everywhere. Together with his organisation, he envisions to build a beach safe house to start rebuilding the lives of broken souls by way of ocean sports communities, fitness and work ethics. Damien has broken world records paddling non stop from one coast to another, fighting off sharks and battling monster swells to help make his vision come to life.