The idea of imposing structure on one’s hard earned off-time might make most squirm. But the thought that going full-hedonism for a week or more is the best way to recharge is a bit of a myth.Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
The Cult of Fitness column by Alex Cyr dives into the wonderful, weird world of fitness trends and why they endure.
I have been trying to put my finger on why I am obsessed with HBO’s series The White Lotus, which follows a collection of characters (often rich Americans) looking to escape their day-to-day problems on vacation. It’s either the weird theme music, or the show’s unsettling reminder that a life of frictionless luxury inevitably spirals into chaos, and the traditional, beachy brand of satisfaction is not a quick fix. In fact, it usually takes eight days for people on vacation to reach their highest level of happiness, according to a paper in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
The classic getaway of beach-chair naps, boat parties and terrace lunch-dinners runs counter to an emerging vacation style that brands itself as much better for one’s overall well-being: the fitcation, which blends leisure time with fitness pursuits. Think hiking trips to Kathmandu, luxury hut-to-hut experiences in the Alps and wine tastings in Bordeaux interspersed with bike rides. Even local studios are popularizing this idea that vacation should have a wellness component and be about more than self-indulgence and doing nothing.
The fitcation is more available to us than ever before. Digital services such as ClassPass connect people with nearby fitness studios wherever they are, while popular chains including Barry’s Bootcamp and Orangetheory Fitness continue to expand globally. There is an app called Meetup that helps people find running groups while on vacation, while Komoot helps hikers discover nearby trails, and SweatPals connects travellers with local fitness communities such as run clubs and yoga groups. When I am in a new place, I use Strava Maps, which extends all over the world, to find popular running routes. I can now transform nearly any destination (excluding the Arctic) into my own sort of training camp.
But just because one can, uh, fitcate, doesn’t mean that you should. Fitcation is one of those terms that was born controversial – like detox, or cheat day. On one hand, hiking the Dolomites is undoubtedly better for one’s physical health than a boozy week in Tulum. On the other hand, there is something about exercise-based travel that smells a lot like the productivity-obsessed flavour most people go on vacation to escape. Have we become so obsessed with self-improvement and productivity that we can’t even lay on a beach?
The idea of imposing structure on one’s hard earned off-time might make most squirm. But the thought that going full-hedonism for a week or more is the best way to recharge is a bit of a myth. An American study on leisure time, published in 2021, suggests that people with moderate levels of discretionary time report the highest levels of well-being, whereas those with excessive leisure time (more than five hours a day) experience lower levels of happiness and fulfilment owing to a lack of productivity or purpose.
It tugs at the old truism that nobody wants just desserts. It’s part of what irked David Foster Wallace about luxury cruises, and what’s behind the cautionary Greek tale of the lotus eaters: Vacationers to the North African island of Djerba who, after ingesting the highly narcotic fruits of a lotus tree (sound familiar?), would become so addicted to their newfound pleasure that they would leave their old lives behind and never return home.
Meanwhile, there are several studies that suggest that being active while travelling is great for us and is linked to better well-being, higher levels of detachment and mastery, and improved sleep quality, which is key when battling jet lag. But countering those studies are my own personal experience with being scolded by my travel mates for packing too many pairs of running shoes, passing on drinks because I have a run the next morning and delaying daily plans after getting lost on that run. There is nothing recharging about being at odds with your group.
Choosing whether a fitcation is right for you comes down to specifics. Some of my favourite travel memories are linked to fitness: cycling around the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway the morning after a pub night. Running through Reykjavik around the summer solstice in the broad daylight at 5 a.m. as the city slowly wakes up. Or waking up in Nashville and consulting the Strava map to find a beautiful hidden park (which saved me from running around a shopping mall).
But not all exercise is created equal. Slamming an elliptical workout in a Holiday Inn gym while your friends go to Joshua Tree National Park is not the same as enjoying a new running route, and there is nothing relaxing about skipping a fun afternoon to adhere to a tired workout routine. Vacation might also be a good time to explore the origin of your desire to exercise: Is it about achieving balance and making new memories, or is it rooted in body image and fear of losing gains? The latter feels more like a compulsion – gains are not lost in a week – and, in fact, a substantial break can help crystallize them.
The goal of vacationing, at least for me, has never been to do absolutely nothing but rather to mentally recharge. Those who share that objective might want to ask themselves if exercising while travelling would help or harm their goal of properly recharging. The answer might surprise you. Doing absolutely nothing can be its own brand of tyranny.
So, embrace the fitcation, but make it your own. And if the fitness component is limited to a long walk on the beach, so be it.
