Retreats · Keeping the habit
Training on holiday: what to keep, what to drop, and the resorts built for people who train
Two weeks off does not undo a year of training and two weeks of guilt undoes the holiday. What the evidence says about breaks, a realistic minimum that keeps you feeling like yourself, and the resorts and villas where training is part of the design.
Updated September 2026 · Prices and facilities are illustrative and need verification
Resorts and camps built for it
| Type | Examples | What you get | Per week | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness and wellbeing resorts | Six Senses, Forte Village, Sani Resort, Club Med Exclusive Collection | Full gym, classes, coaching, spa, pools | £2,500 to £8,000 | Families who train | Kids’ clubs let parents train |
| Racquets resorts | Rafa Nadal Academy (Mallorca), Sani, La Manga, Mouratoglou | Courts, coaching, padel and tennis camps | £1,500 to £5,000 | Racquets players | Padel camps are booming |
| Cycling and triathlon camps | Mallorca, Girona, Lanzarote (Club La Santa) | Coached rides, bike hire, pool | £1,000 to £3,000 | Endurance | Club La Santa is the original sports resort |
| Yoga and Pilates retreats | Ibiza, Portugal (Comporta), Greece | Two classes a day, food, rest | £1,200 to £3,500 | Mobility and calm | Check teacher credentials |
| Bootcamp weeks | Spain, Portugal, UK | Intense training, nutrition | £1,500 to £3,000 | A reset | Not a holiday |
| Villas with gyms | Villa agencies filter for gym | Private gym, pool | Varies | Groups | Verify the gym is real |
| Hotel with a good gym | See hotel gyms guide | Enough | Varies | Everyone else | Photos before booking |
Indicative prices per person per week excluding flights, September 2026; verify.
What a break does
Strength is largely maintained for two to three weeks without training; endurance dips a little sooner but returns within a fortnight of resuming. A one-week break can improve performance if you were running tired. The research is reassuring: take the holiday. What people actually miss is the feeling, not the fitness.
The realistic minimum
Two short sessions a week keeps strength and habit: a 20-minute bodyweight or dumbbell circuit and one hard effort (a run, a swim, a hike). Add walking everywhere and swimming in whatever water is available and most people come back feeling fine. If the hotel gym is bad, see hotel gyms worth booking and day passes in Europe.
Resorts that get it
A generation of resorts now assume guests train: proper gyms, morning classes, coaching, padel courts, kids’ clubs timed for a parent’s workout. Six Senses and the big Mediterranean family resorts do this best; racquets academies and cycling camps do it for enthusiasts. Ask about the gym before the room.
Your club membership
Freeze it for trips over a month (see contracts explained). For shorter trips, David Lloyd’s European clubs and partner arrangements can be used; see using your UK membership abroad.
FAQs
Common questions
Will I lose fitness on a two-week holiday?
Very little. Strength holds for two to three weeks; endurance dips slightly and returns quickly. Two short sessions a week keeps you feeling normal.
Which holiday resorts have good gyms?
Six Senses, Forte Village, Sani Resort and Club Med Exclusive Collection are reliable; sports resorts such as Club La Santa and the racquets academies are built for training.