How to make this year's festive indulgence guilt-free

Once upon a time – in the Middle Ages, to be precise – advent was observed as a month of resisting temptation. Those days are long gone. Now, the countdown to Christmas is punctuated by boozy parties and extravagant dinners.

Supplies of Moet have been running low in the cellars below Epernay following a rush to stock up on fine fizz last month, and wine merchants Majestic predict one bottle of Cava will fly off shelves every minute during the holiday season. On Christmas Day alone, it’s estimated the average person packs away just shy of 5,500 calories – nearly three times the daily allowance for women, and twice that for men.

But Christmas shouldn’t be a time for scrimping, saving and holding back – especially not this year, as we reel from the after-effects of Covid and economic chaos. This Christmas, we all want to let loose, even if that means releasing the belt buckle a couple of notches or switching to elasticated waistbands for the weeks to come – and after all, why shouldn’t we?

But does impending festive indulgence have to mean inevitable guilt? Diet pills and miracle solutions might be as mythical as the man in red, but there is a way to avoid the waves of post-festive-feasting remorse and indulge with a clear conscience: offset your December decadence by booking a 2023 fitness break.

From intense quick-fix boot camps to holistic makeovers, there are hundreds of active holidays running throughout 2023 – and, now that the days of the stereotypical fit farm are over, body conscious retreats are no longer defined by meagre meals and gruelling regimes.

If the thought of being stuck in a gym bores you to tears, there’s hope: combining time away with exploring beautiful surroundings might just be enough motivation to get you out there in a new pair of running shoes. Add to that the fact that various new science-led programmes perform biometric and blood tests to help guests to work-out more efficiently, plus the mental benefits – guaranteed to outweigh any physical improvements – and you’re onto a winner.

So, sit back with a glass of port and a mince pie, safely assured calories accrued in 2022 will be blitzed away in 2023. After the year we’ve had, we deserve it.

Reboot for the new year

Running on sand requires more than one and a half times the amount of energy required on a hard surface, while softer landings reduce the risk of injuries. Incorporate jogs along the beach with a New Year Reboot break at St Michael’s Resort in Falmouth, where a gusty sea breeze will blow away 2022’s cobwebs.

Short fitness stays include a body analysis, studio classes and cardio session at the resort’s Health Club, along with a bespoke training plan to take home. A vast hydrothermal area features 21 stations for targeting different muscle groups, a Cornish sea salt steam room to relax respiratory systems, and an outdoor barrel sauna and hot tub with views of Falmouth Bay. Within a few footsteps of Gylly Beach, the Cornish resort is a starting point for coastal trails leading to shipwrecks lodged in golden sands and castle ruins crumbling on the headland.

St Michael’s Resort (01326312707; stmichaelsresort.com) has doubles from £70 per night with breakfast, or a three-night package from £415pp. Various dates.

Train to be a champion

Focus too much on one form of exercise and you could wind up with an injury – or end up looking a little lopsided. Combining swimming, running and cycling, triathlon training is a perfect full body workout regime, which also boosts energy and improves cardiovascular health.

Lay the foundations for taking part in a race with a Cycling & Triathlon Holiday for Beginners in Spain’s Catalan countryside, based at a converted farmhouse close to medieval town Besalu and the Garrotxa Volcanic National Park. Hopeful athletes (restricted to a maximum of four people per group) can improve their muscle coordination, breathing and technique with individual coaching sessions and video analysis, running or riding along country roads and swimming in an inland stretch of open water.

Responsible Travel (01273 823 700; responsibletravel.com) has eight-day trips from £942pp (two sharing; full board), excluding flights. Various dates. 

Take a deeper breath

It’s easy to waste hours pumping iron and running on a treadmill without achieving much more than a pool of sweat. There are thousands of fads, gadgets and machines promising to enhance performance, but the secret to effective exercising could simply be down to the way you breathe.

Learn how to fill lungs the smart way with a Breathing Recovery & Immunity Boosting Programme at the Aleenta Phuket Resort & Spa set on Thailand’s Natai Beach, lapped by the Andaman Sea. During the course of a five, 14 or 21-night plan, participants can learn the importance of breathwork for a healthy body and mind through mindfulness practice, oxygen therapy, strength training, Muay Thai and spa treatments.

The Aleenta Phuket Resort & Spa (00 66 02 514 8124; aleenta.com) has retreats from £540 per night (full board), excluding flights. Various dates.

Plug in to unplug

Kitted out with the latest fitness technology, the new Sensei Porcupine Creek resort in California’s Coachella Valley is a magnet for stressed-out CEOs and over-worked execs seeking a science-led lifestyle make-over. Taking place in a Rancho Mirage estate belonging to Silicon Valley billionaire Larry Ellison, with guidance from world-class oncologist Dr David Agus, the resort’s programmes are based on a mixture of movement, nourishment and rest.

Receive a WHOOP wristband with a six-month membership to track key physiological and behavioural data pre-arrival and spend days in the spa, on a tennis court or playing a round of golf under the gaze of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Hike in the semi-arid, other-worldly landscape of nearby Joshua Tree National Park or take a horse ride through the canyons, palm groves and waterfalls of an area once inhabited by indigenous Cahuilla people.

Sensei (00 1 310 740 5498; sensei.com) has five-day programmes from £1,280pp (two sharing; full board), excluding flights.

Gain A-list appeal

Honing a Hollywood body is a full-time occupation, forcing most A-listers to devote more time to squats and sit-ups than learning lines. According to fitness guru Ramona Braganza, however, it’s still possible to look red-carpet respectable without spending every hour in the gym.

The former NFL cheerleader and competitive gymnast, who is currently training Jessica Alba for her new Netflix series, will be sharing tips and secrets during a retreat at the playful sports and party oriented Kandima resort in the Maldives. Group training sessions will be based on Ramona’s 321 workouts and nutrition plans, designed to boost metabolism with cardio, strength and core exercises, along with evening meditation and breathwork. Following a one-on-one session with Ramona, a personalised fitness and meal plans are souvenirs to take home.

Kandima (00 960 676 0077; kandima.com) has a seven-day retreat from £4,578pp (two sharing), excluding flights, 14-21 March.

Go wild for swimming

Being immersed in cold water three times a week increases your white blood cell count, boosting the immune system and raising metabolic rates. But there’s a big difference between taking a quick dip in the sea and swimming longer distances.

Learn the skills and confidence to graduate from the pool to the open ocean on an introductory group open-swimming course in Mallorca, where the water is mercifully much warmer than at home. After perfecting swim stroke and safety skills in a pool, graduate to crossing quiet bays in seaside town Colonia de Sant Jordi and finish with a swim to an island reef in Es Carbo Bay.

Swimtrek (01273 739 713; swimtrek.com) has six-day trips from £1,050pp (two sharing), including some meals. Flights extra. Various dates from June 7 to October 3.

Look like a star

Responsible for Liv Tyler’s legs, JLo’s booty and Heidi Klum’s rock-hard abs, celebrity trainer David Kirsch likens himself to a modern Michelangelo when it comes to sculpting A-list bodies. Rejecting a ‘cookie cutter’ approach in favour of bespoke plans, he promises to untie body and mind for a holistic workout to deliver long term results. He’s written countless books and starred in Youtube tutorials, but take the opportunity to learn from him in the flesh at a Fitness and Nutrition retreat at Santa Marina resort in Mykonos.

The itinerary will include bootcamp sessions, power walks, stretching, and hiking, as well as Q&A sessions. There’s also plenty of time to pose beside the infinity pool and hang out at the island’s trendy bars in the style of a true Hollywood star.

Santa Marina (00 30 2289023220; santa-marina.gr) has a five-night retreat from £4,337pp  (two sharing; full-board), excluding flights, May 18-23. 

Have fun on the farm

Fancy equipment isn’t essential for achieving a toned physique. In fact, natural muscle movements trump anything simulated in a gym. Swapping Pelotons and ellipticals for a variety of agricultural tools, Farm Fit is a novel circuit-based regime that makes calorie burning more of a giggle than a grind.

Crawl through tyres, jump over bales of hay and lift weighted butter churns to build the biceps of a milkmaid and quads of a stableboy. Guests staying at Hampshire’s Heckfield Place, a restored Georgian home in 400 acres of land, can also practise cold water immersion therapy in a lake within the grounds or follow a trail run designed to improve coordination and posture. Sow seeds for a healthy start to 2023 and harvest the rewards.

Heckfield Place (0118 932 6868; heckfieldplace.com) has rooms from £450 per night B&B; a 90-minute Farm Fit session costs £150.

Get fit the natural way

The best way to get in shape is to do it without even realising. Taking advantage of long sandy beaches and bracing waves, Pembrokeshire’s eco lodge Preseli Venture has designed a Workout in the Wilderness to draw breath and raise heartbeats with the scenery alone. Go coasteering, learn to surf or try wild sea swimming – activities designed to push participants out of their complacent, repetitive gym-dependent comfort zones.

Forge an even deeper connection with nature through yoga sessions or runs through valleys and ancient woodlands, ditching adrenalin-thumping dance tunes for a more motivational soundtrack of trilling choughs and a woodpecker’s drilling rhythms. Wind down and warm up around a wood burning stove back at the lodge, tucked into a valley hillside with views of the Penbwchdy headland.

Preseli Venture’s (01348837709; preseliventure.co.uk) next Fitness Weekend takes place June 2-4 and costs £325pp  (two sharing; full-board).

Find the perfect balance

Hardcore HITT classes and heart-busting bootcamps aren’t for everyone. Proving it’s still possible to shape up without putting so much stress on your body, Pilates expert Paola Langella will be leading a Shape & Nature retreat focussed on non-cardio exercises.

A mixture of Standing (no mat work), Dynamic (involving more athletic movements at a faster pace) and Restorative (focussing on balance, flexibility and rehabilitation) Pilates classes promise to tone, shape and challenge the body – all in the peaceful surroundings of a 16th century Sicilian country estate with views of Mount Etna. Paola, a former dancer who took up Pilates after she suffered a neck injury, will tailor individual exercise and nutrition plans for participants to take home, so beneficial effects are guaranteed to linger long after any Mediterranean suntans have gone.

Balance Holidays (balanceholidays.com) has a five-day package from  £3,000 (two sharing; full-board), excluding flights, March 15-19.

Shape up in good company

Ditching the desk job to focus full-time on an active lifestyle is a tempting – if terrifying – proposition. But former architect turned personal trainer Stella Kamba is living proof of what lies on the other side. Combining fitness with immersion in nature and exploration (the holy trinity of happiness), she leads several itineraries through her company More Life Adventures.

Dip into her life philosophy with a short break in Madeira, split between a training base at Insular CrossFit in Funchal and the Casas da Levada farm estate. The idea is to socialise and bond with a small group on mountain hikes, beach walks and at dinners prepared with vegetables harvested from the estate’s organic garden – although there’s an option to stay in a private villa and spend time alone if that’s more your speed.

More Life Adventures (morelifeadventures.com) has a five-night break from £1,450pp (full-board), excluding flights, April 4-9.

Punch above your weight

There’s always a risk that too many beers will end in a brawl, but a round of fisticuffs could also be the solution for shifting boozy weight gains. Intending to make boxing high-end, elite London studio BXR have created a bruise-free fitness craze. For the ultimate fitness break, they’ve set up an outdoor functional training centre at the Daios Cove resort in Crete, designed to achieve 360-degree strength and conditioning.

When it comes to working out, the team of expert trainers don’t pull any punches; intense, hardcore sessions are designed to create champions. Yoga and Pilates sessions are held in a studio with beach views, and incorporated into an itinerary to keep bodies supple and avoid injuries. Open to all fitness levels, a fighting spirit is the only prerequisite.

Daios Cove (daioscovecrete.com) has a six-day retreat from £3,000 (full board), excluding flights, May 11-17 and 18-24.

Find a speedy solution

Shunning fancy restaurants and days spent lounging on superyachts, there are those amongst the rich and famous who prefer 5.30am wake-up calls, four-hour mountain hikes and 1,400 calories per day diets. In May 2022, cult retreat at The Ranch Malibu debuted its first international residency at Palazzo Fiuggi Medical Retreat, outside Rome in Italy.

The condensed four-night version of their transformational regime – praised by Rebel Wilson for helping her shift 3.5kg almost overnight – involves hikes through the Apennine Mountains based on time not distance (to accommodate different levels and paces), strength classes, yoga and massage. A 30-day pre-arrival programme kickstarts the process, while detailed medicals – including blood testing and electrocardiograms – allow a team to advise on the best lifestyle changes long term.

The Ranch Italy at Palazzo Fiuggi (00 39 07757661; theranchmalibu.com) has retreats from £4,037 (two sharing; full board), excluding flights.

Take a stress-free approach

Somehow the French have perfected the art of staying slim while putting away baskets of baguettes and croissants for breakfast. Honouring a respect for fine food and even finer living, there’s no grit or gruel at Lily of the Valley, an elegant escape in St Tropez, where the aim is to simply leave feeling healthier than when you arrived.

That’s not especially hard in the luxurious setting masterminded by Philippe Starck, whose design blends the architecture of Provencal abbeys with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Nutritionist Jacques Fricker has created three weight loss programmes, including coaching, massages and a scientific analysis of body composition to inform bespoke diet and exercise plans. Making the use of the Mediterranean landscape, workouts include aqua boxing, sea wading, Nordic walking and sunset yoga.

Lily of the Valley (00 33 04 22 73 22 00; lilyofthevalley.com) has four-day programmes from £2,123 per person, or room only from £467 per night.

Prepare to pedal

There’s plenty of time to get in shape for this cycling trip, taking place towards the end of 2023. But there’s nothing like the prospect of riding alongside Scottish road race legend David Millar to incentivise a new fitness regime. Focussed more on joyriding than taking on a Tour de France, high-end operator LeBlanq specialises in tours led by power-house peddlers such as Sir Chris Hoy and Mark Cavendish.

Their new Cape Town trip, based at The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, promises rides along coastal roads, sandy beaches and scenic vineyards, with stops to sample fine wines and a gourmet menu curated by award-winning South African chef Kobus van der Merwe. Bookings for short-haul trips in Spain, Norway, Ireland and Ibiza have also just been launched – but be warned, they’re expected to sell out fast.

LeBlanq (leblanq.com) has a three-night break from £3,250pp (two sharing; full board), excluding flights, November 16-19, 2023.