Social Workout

Travel Workouts

Your Hotel Gym Might Suck, But Swiss Balls Fit in Carry On

Travel and exercise are uneasy companions. Hotel gyms are a crap shoot: Either high gloss, or reminiscent of your middle school basement. For the record, I lucked out over President's Day on a trip to FLA with a luxurious hotel gym, but even had it sucked, I was prepared. Why? Smart packing:

• My Computer: Netflix has a bajillion exercise DVDs available on demand, like Hot Male Yoga, which, true to its name, has hot males and yoga, if you're into that sort of thing. Netflix is key for travel exercise, though YouTube can be used in a pinch.
• Resistance Bands: I'm not a resistance bands person. Can't stand that rubbery feeling, but I use them when I travel because dumbells are not carry-on friendly.

Retreats

Jivamukti Yoga Immersion in Costa Rica

• Who: Advanced certified Jivamukti teachers Rima Rabbath and Yogeswari (Estelle Eichenberger)
• What: A week-long "immersion" retreat designed to give you a taste of Jivamukti's month-long teacher training program in one week
• When: March 27 - April 3, 2010
• Where: Costa Rica, with accommodations at the popular Blue Spirit retreat center 

Retreats

A Week of Iyengar Yoga in Mexico

• Who: Iyengar yoga teacher Jacqueline Gerson
• What: A vigorous weeklong retreat on the beach in Mexico focused on realignment, flexibility and strength. Expect to work hard but then relax in your open air cabana overlooking the waves. 
• When: April 24 - May 1, 2010
• Where: Haramara Retreat Center in Sayulita, Mexico

Retreats

Kirtan and Yoga for The Australian Autumn Equinox

• Who: Kirtan singer Dave Stringer and Sydney yoga instructor Nicole Goodwin.
• What: Yoga, hiking, and daily kirtan just outside an old-growth eucalyptus forest packed with koala bears, all in celebration of the Autumn Equinox, which happens in March in the southern hemisphere. 
• Where: Jasper's Village Resorts, in Hastings Valley, Australia (5 1/2 hours north of Sydney)
• When: March 18 - 21, 2010

Retreats

Eight Days of Ayurveda and Yoga in Kerala

• Who: YogaWorks instructor Christy Brown
• What: Eight days at an Ayurvedic resort in Kerala, a state in southern India, with vinyasa yoga, yin yoga, meditation, and daily massage. 
• When: February 27 - March 6, 2010

Retreats

Sonic Yoga's Encanta La Vida in Cost Rica

• Who: Lauren Hanna, Co-Director of Sonic Yoga and Sonic Yoga teacher Tracy Mohr
• What: Vigorous morning vinyasa, restorative afternoon vinyasa, surf lessons, tree climbing, rapelling, and kayaking.   
• When: March 13 - 20, 2010

Events

Flinty and Cold Valentine's Day Adventures

If Valentine's Day makes you feel about as warm and fuzzy as a coatless walk across the tundra, perhaps you shouldn't fight those feelings. Maybe instead you should go with them and sign up for a Valentine's Day weekend winter survival skills camp: 

New York

Retreats

Cabo Yoga and Fitness Experience

• Who: Kristin McGee and Carey Yonto
• What: Four days of bootcamp, yoga, Pilates, massage, hiking, and beach lounging in Cabo, Mexico. 
• When: March 3-7, 2010
• Where: The True Collection Villas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Retreats

Yoga and Pilates in St. Petersburg

• What: A week in St. Petersburg, Russia at the peak of summer when the sun barely sets. Daily yoga and Pilates with DVD Diva Kristin McGee, plus city hikes, trips to Russian bathhouses, caviar and vodka tastings, private tours of cathedrals, gardens, and markets, and accommodations in a private mansion near the city center. 
• When: July 17 - 24, 2010
• Why: St. Petersburg is the Venice of Russia, and Kristin McGee is the host of one of our favorite Pilates DVDs ever. 
• How Much: $3,000, includes accommodations, all meals and activities. 
• Link: Escape to St. Petersburg

Retreats

A Week in St. Lucia with Vinnie Marino

• What: A week on St. Lucia's best beach, with two-a-day yoga classes taught by Santa Monica YogaWorks instructor Vinnie Marino.
• When: April 24 - May 1, 2010
• Why: Robert Downey Jr. and Heather Graham both love Vinnie, if that kind of thing excites you. Aside from stars, he has a major following, especially among advanced yogis, so you can expect to be challenged on this retreat...when you're not lounging on the beach and getting massages.