What It’s Like to Travel To Workout With a Celebrity Trainer

It's 8:45 a.m. and people are flocking to yoga classes at the chapel overlooking the ocean. This is one of the most beautiful views imaginable, a view that requires you to lie horizontally on a lounge chair. But I, like other visitors, didn’t come just for the beach. We came for the opportunity to make a rising dog with Because of the dawnco-founder Raise your tone.

For some, relaxing at the beach is an opportunity to take a break from responsibilities, but for a growing number of people, their well-earned free time is spent on a planned itinerary that includes boat pose before brunch. Health tourism is on the rise, with many hotels offering a range of training programs. Some hotels increase their efficiency by partnering with celebrity trainers whose fans travel thousands of miles to train with them.

This was the case with the Dawn wellness series in Four Seasons Resort Oahuwhich is essentially a pop-up at a larger resort. Dawn is no stranger to her fitness followers racking up frequent flyer miles to see her. Before the pandemic, she hosted multi-day retreats with hundreds of attendees and even headlined workouts at major events such as Popsugar Play/Ground.

“It goes beyond fitness. It's about coming together and realizing that we're in this together,” Don says. “And it’s easier to get that when it’s a more intimate experience.” Because she teaches her classes online via Tone It Up appDawn looks forward to meeting her followers, especially at a resort like Four Seasons Oahu where the rates are lower for her. When Dawn organized her own retreats, “it took six months or more” for her team to establish eight hours of programming for each day. Arriving at the resort, “it’s like you’re part of a puzzle rather than a whole,” she says. In addition to activities with Dawn, guests can enjoy other beach resort amenities including a spa, tennis courts and sound baths.

Working out in person with a trainer you've followed for years can feel like meeting a celebrity. If there's one coach who exudes first-class rizz, it's My Akmanco-founder ARMYelite online sports training platform with a studio in New York. In their recent pop-up on American Club In Kohler, Wisconsin, I spotted him at a hotel cafe before a workout. His black outfit contrasted with a sea of ​​pastel polos.

Ackman continued his training phase, looking like the fourth member of the Jonas Brothers; patrons mobbed him for post-workout selfies as if he really were a music icon. I heard one woman say she came from Portland to see him speak. Another attendee greeted him by saying that she had attended a previous event he held in Chicago with 7,000 people in attendance and was excited to meet him at the event.

While these destination workouts may seem overwhelming, participants often find it transformative to spend time with a coach who plays a critical role in their lives. As Ackman notes: “Afterwards I get messages about how [my class] changed people's lives.” This is part of the plan. Both Ackman and Don told me that their goal with these pop-ups is to make an impact. Ackman, for example, walks into every class thinking, “How can I be so intentional in what I say and how I do it that you will take something from these 45 minutes and change your life?” In an age of constant distraction, I appreciate his commitment to getting people to care about their fitness.

The workouts these trainers create are as much about the mind as they are about the body. As Ackman explains: ​​”I think that movement is just a means through which you can open someone's mind.” There are an endless number of fitness trainers, but “not everyone can bring out someone's greatness, make them feel something and make them work harder than ever before,” he continues.

As I watched the attendees of Ackman's classes go through a merciless series of… plyometric exercisesI saw a team striving for greatness. I even tried my hand at a few variations of plyo burpees (which I gave up years ago). His training was more intense than anything I've done in the last year (and I do a lot of training while watching PS Fit Video.) Ackman relies on “the performance aspect of what I do on stage to show the possibilities.” This wasn't your daily workout; it was like a five-course tasting menu that you only eat on vacation.

The rise in popularity of fitness travel has led to more hotels and destinations offering this type of program. If you're tired of making decisions, traveling to a specific health pop-up can be a motivating way to finally pull the trigger and take the journey. A solo traveler may find that a trip centered around a coach allows them to find a strong community while traveling. There's also the opportunity to visit a place that might not otherwise be on your bucket list. Living in Los Angeles, Wisconsin, I never dreamed of going there, but having been there, I would love to go back. Whatever your reasons, you may return home feeling a little frustrated and much more motivated.

Genevieve Farrell Roston (she/her) is an award-winning director and video director at PS. She curates the Webby Award-nominated video series PS Fit, which makes fitness fun and accessible. Has over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry. A certified personal trainer, she enjoys running, Pilates, and rest days. As a mother of two, she is an avid reviewer of baby products and products.