How to make most of an outdoor weight loss retreat

Are you signing up for an outdoor weight loss retreat? If so, chances are you would already know much about pre-departure preparations. You would have taken care of your all on-journey needs. You would have all that would assist you in your weight loss ambition and effort during the retreat.

We would not touch that part.

Instead, we would focus on a few tips and tricks on: how you can make most of your retreat. You should make most out of it. After all, you have taken a time out of your current status of life and spared some resources to undergo an outdoor training program to improve your fitness and health.

• First of all, remember! an outdoor weight loss retreat, by whatever name you call it, is not only for overweight people. There is as such an impression. Don’t buy it. An away-from-home or away-from-busy-lifestyle fitness activity is a significant opportunity to lose weight for anyone to everyone.
• Any outdoor weight loss break has a great value for super-fitness-conscious people. It is very attractive to women. Many of us work on our fitness and health at gyms. We might even have worked with any available big or small fitness equipment at home. We rarely get a chance to do it in a natural organic environment.

Source: seeverbier.com

• It is even a more scarcely come-by opportunity for people in Urban areas. A repeated cycle of daily hectic routine and polluted living conditions make them sick and tired. A break from that environment for any period of time would indeed be a rare retreat for them.
• One, it would give them a space to think over. They while being surrounded by fresh air and climate can evaluate their lives in a balance. A competitive life race such as career goals and conveniences-driven attitudes make them less aware of importance of nature in their health and wellbeing.
• Two, it would give them a fresh start. It is for both- a fresh start to their fitness and to their lives. A new sense of energy and urge would put them on a course of a healthy life. They would become more aware of fitness’s significance in their health. They would make a regular effort for becoming and staying fit.
• It might be a completely weight-free training. You might need any tools, even a small fitness equipment to assist you in training. An idea that focuses a majority of outdoor fitness retreats is to help people immerse into nature and along the way work on their fitness.

Here we would tell you how to achieve maximum out of your outdoor fitness retreat.

1)  Know all you can

You would possibly be given some literature to read at the time you sign up for a fitness retreat. Generally, organizers give a retreat’s prospective participants some material i.e. pamphlets and activity manuals, to read.

• If you are presented with such a material, it is recommended to read it thoroughly. It would help you to know about each activity in detail.
• One, it would enable you to understand all activities of your program. You would find it easier to comprehend beforehand. You could do them effectively at a time of their doing.
• Two, with more understanding of each activity, you would get yourself more involved. You would not feel left behind. During execution of actual activities on ground, you might find some people more competitive than you. It can serve your enthusiasm and involvement negatively. You might feel let down at times.
• If you do not get any material from organizers at signing up, ask them for it. They would likely to help you, either with a written material or by referring you to their website or any other online source. It could assist you to know as much about prospective fitness activities as you can.
• You should also search other online sources on your own to know more you can. It would give you much needed confidence. It would serve you positively in your ambition.
• A friend or a family member of yours might had gone on an outdoor training adventure. You can ask them too about the details. In fact, it can help you more if you are taking on a similar venture.
• It is important for you to have a complete sense of what you would be up to. You would be able to know a level of intensity that each activity might come with. You could proactively respond to that pressure, and avoid getting yourself surprised or overwhelmed by it.

2)  Be mentally prepared

After you have packed all you can to help you in your retreat, it is time for you to be mentally prepared to face a real-time challenge out there.

• Be assured that despite your knowing of all you could, organizers would give you details of all activities. Your guide or instructor would present you with specifications of each activity. In fact, you would practically be shown, assisted and supervised in performing of each of those activities.
• Having said that, it is you who would be doing all activities by yourself. For example, an instructor can tell you how you should run, at what pace and at what length. But it is you who would be running, not the instructor. So, anticipate it well before.
• Also, be aware of potentially challenging conditions out there. Each activity could possibly drain your energy. It could make you feel tired. You could be down at a lowest ebb of your willpower. So much so that you could say: “I can’t take it no more”.
• It could be even worse, or at least how you could feel it, if you are doing an intense physical activity first time. It could go from bad to worse, if you are an overweight personality.
• You could be left behind by your herd. All participants come to train. They come to make most of their effort and resources. They would focus their involvement and gains. They would not be as concerned about what happens around them.
• Once you are separated from your herd, you might feel being ignored and neglected. You shouldn’t. Because, if you do so, that would be an end of you. It is likely then, that a sense of negativity overpowers you. At a time when you are already struggling in your effort, it could kill your energy and motivation in no matter of time. It would be harder for you to recover from it then.
• These are few-to-mention challenges. You could face many more. You should be mentally prepared for the worst, even if you do not face it. An anticipation of a tougher challenge would set a tone to what you should expect.

3)  Don’t hide, be open

Your signing up for an outdoor fitness retreat confirms your commitment towards it. You should not shy away from it at any point. You should let yourself be heard.

• No need to hide your difficulties from others. Be open about them. Let your instructor or supervisor hear them. It is an only way to benefit you from their coaching and assistance.
• Having read so much, you would know a lot about your retreat. You would have also taken care of all your needs i.e. clothing, shoes, food and others. Still don’t be aloof to unexpected turns and twists.
• You, for example, might not find yourself comfortable in your clothes during your workouts. Your shoes might start hurting you. A new pair of shoes can possibly hurt around ankles or toes you wear them first time.
• You might find yourself tired quickly or more than you had anticipated. You could think you are not drinking enough water. You are dehydrating quicker than you thought.

Source: agreatertown.com

• Above and many more questions could pop up on your mind. Some of them could be genuine. Many are always there. Whenever we push ourselves into a physical activity, a sense of powerlessness is always there around us.
• A question here is not: why we have so many questions? Or: why we have so many problems? There is no definitive answer to it. It is an attitude of lethargy that we live with. We sometimes live with it too long. And whenever we try to come out of it, a voice comes from within, NO. What are you doing? You can’t do it.
• One thing for sure, it mostly happens in a weight-focused training that you start with a small fitness equipment then grow into heavy ones. In an outdoor versatility is greater. You have to make most in a limited time.
• In such situations, which are inevitable in most cases, you should not hide from them. Be open and discuss them with each detail with your supervisor.  They would most probably be aware of gravity of your situation from your expressions. It comes with their knowledge and experience. They experience it at many times, especially more often with first-timers.
• Still, they would not be able to assist you unless you open yourself up before them. At times, you would need motivation. At others, you might want someone share your backpack load for a while. You might want someone slow down in their activity to get you along with them.
• You could get an advice and assistance in above and many other situations once you show that you are in need for it.

4)  Listen to and acton instructions

It is an important aspect to your retreat that you carefully listen to all fitness instructions and training guidelines. It is a must that you act on them to make most of your effort.

• Your guide or instructor would generally inform you all pros and cons of your fitness program. It includes details of all activities, overall safety tips, and how you could increase your level of participation and contribution to make most of your retreat for yourself and others.
• At destination of your retreat you would likely to be given more thorough or a workshop-style training information and practices. You would be shown how you could expand your chances of achieving maximum out of your retreat.
• You would also be told about each activity before and at its start. All activities would have different aspects to their implementation and outcome. You might not be aware about any of them at all before.
• It is important for you to listen to all instructions, and when not sure about any aspect, ask about it there and then. It would prevent you from a hassle during execution of an activity. It could be annoying for others, if you ask them, instead of your instructor about it.

Source: bigseventravel.com

5)  Get involved

• Your involvement would be key to your maximum gains from your fitness retreat.
• Don’t feel left behind. Show your enthusiasm. Get yourself proactively involved.
• Volunteer yourself on demand for any activity. It would boost your confidence.
• Your involvement would get a positive energy around you. You would feel thrilled and excited to do more.
• Your involvement would leave a positive impression on people around you. Being appreciated by your involvement, other participants, supervisors and organizers would be more than willing to assist you in your time of difficulty.

6)  A crucial advice

• Don’t have high expectations. Remember! it could be a one-time-off opportunity that you have availed. Target it to get you a think-over chance, a reorganizing-yourself opportunity. It would set your priorities straight. It would put you on a long course of fitness and health. So, take it a more sort of realization time. Don’t think you would come a super-fit person out of it, although it possible, depending on length of an activity and level of your effort.
• Also, if you are taking such an opportunity first time, make it a launching pad for many more to come. A time you would spend there should be more than enough to give you a complete picture of how an outdoor fitness training is beneficial in gaining fresh energy and start.
• Even when you fail to achieve your desired goals, consider it worth an adventure. You should not regret that you have lost your time and resources on it. You could not get as much back home as have out of it. It could be probably the first time that you were closer to nature.
• In case of suspecting an injured notify your supervisor immediately. Even before that stop your activity. It could aggravate your problem.

About Author:

Sophie is an outdoor fitness consultant and blogger. She also organizes seminars and workshops on outdoor fitness retreats. Sophie current is associated with Xn8 Sports who specialize in designing, manufacturing and selling Boxing, MMA & Fitness gear and accessories.