Thailand: Getting fit in paradise

Phuket, specifically Chalong is emerging as the latest hotspot (literally) to take your fitness journey to the next level. The area is lined with fitness and boxing camps, yoga studios and super healthy restaurants.This combined with the outdoor work outs in 40 degrees celsius is guaranteed to help you lose those pesky pounds or help transform you into your inner hulk. If that isn’t enough to make you sprint to your computer and buy a ticket then have a read at 10 more reasons why.

BOXING AND FITNESS CAMPS are all over the country. The bigger ones are in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket. The most popular area is Chalong, Phuket with a whole town dedicated to fitness, just an hour away from the port to all those idyllic islands. Bootcamps, Yoga, Muay Thai and MMA training, the list goes on but whichever discipline you’re looking for, they’ve got it. After spending a gruelling but rewarding month there, I would highly recommend Tiger and Unit 27.

PRICE is always a huge factor when it comes to health retreats and the great news is Thailand is so affordable! A weeks worth of training, accommodation and food is going to cost you less than £400. You can also rent a scooter for £4 a day which will allow you to go exploring the local area.

HEALTHY FOOD I’ve been told is 80% of the reason we reach our fitness goals with just 20% coming from exercise. Because Thailand is on the pulse Chalong is lined with healthy restaurants offering specific “Fighter” and “Weight Loss” menus depending on your goal. No health mecca would be complete without a smoothie bar which you can find in abundance. Every Café and Restaurant serves up smoothies packed with goodies such as spirulina, cacao, matcha, goji berries, chia seeds and protein powder.

MASSAGES are amazing in Thailand especially after what seems like 4 hours in a squat! From Thai to Coco oil to Aloe Vera all the massages are geared around loosening up your limbs and muscles in preparation for another’s days training. What makes the massage even more satisfying is that you’re only paying about 6 pounds for it.

EGOS can make you feel a bit self conscious, especially if you’re just at the beginning of your health journey. However, in Thailand everyone is out to make a better version of themselves and the distinct lack of mirror selfies and gun shows makes an extremely comfortable training environment.

ALL THE GEAR and no idea? They say you need to fake it until you make it and so head down to the shops on camp and kit yourself out with the shiny boxing shorts, hand wraps and gloves. No matter what you wear, you’ll be drenched in sweat by the end of it, so you might as well look the part and get that Rocky theme tune playing.

CULTURE is still at the forefront of these camps with Thai Boxing being an integral part of a young Thai males upbringing. It’s common for the trainers to bring their sons and daughters to camp and its not uncommon that you’ll be lapped by one of these spritely kiddos on the running track.

PROFESSIONAL teams of experts run these camps. With the Thai boxing classes often being taught by local ex fighters. Every class includes a warm up, workout and cool down with easier alternatives given for every exercise. In addition to this services such as nutritionalists, dieticians, allergy testing,cancer screening and Physiotherapy are all available on site.

ENCOURAGEMENT not only from the trainers but also from your fellow students. No matter what stage of your journey your on, overweight and looking to get healthy or a UFC fighter looking to win. The level of encourage is overwhelmingly present. Its not uncommon for a fellow student to give you a reassuring tap on the back if you’re finding the day a bit challenging. After all the fitness classes are renowned for being brutal and they do say that near death experiences bring people together – only joking!

A SUNTAN is a holiday pre requisite for most people. Luckily this fitness mecca is only 15 minutes on a moped from the beach and an hour by boat to the islands. So on your rest day you could be sipping a protein shake (watermelon margarita) on the island where Leonardo Dicaprios legendary film “The Beach” was filmed.