Monthly Archive: January 2015

Fitness Holiday in Greece

Fitness Holidays in Greece

There’s no experience as transformational as a fitness holiday in Greece. I plan to host another one this year, and I’m already getting excited for this next active travel adventure. These trips are unlike any other, as they combine physical culture with traditional culture, in the land of beauty and the gods: Greece.

www.travelsbynature.com

So if you’ve ever wanted to experience the “real” Greece on an active vacation, click on the link above for all the details.

Fitness, Greek dance, festivals, hiking, cooking — we do it all — in authentic, rural village surroundings.

The destination for 2015 is an area of northwestern Greece called Epirus. It’s filled with traditional mountain villages, stunning views, deep gorges and a huge variety of flora and fauna. We’ll be there during festival season, so there will be lots of opportunity for traditional music and celebrations!

This isn’t a bootcamp. The goal is to provide a transformational experience, where I’ll share some of my lifestyle philosophy as we become stronger, leaner and take on a few challenges along the way. We’ll stay active by hiking and completing morning workouts — all of which can be scaled for any fitness level.

It’s my goal to give you strategies to help you stay mobile, strong and healthy throughout life. And I plan to show you a side of traditional Greece that remains hidden from 95% of the tourists that visit the country each year.

The culture of Epirus in northwestern Greece is incredibly rich. I’ve travelled there many times to hike its mountain paths and villages, and I’m in love with its unique traditions, incredible cuisine and hospitable people.

You have to experience Greece this way for yourself.

Here’s the thing: The next trip is scheduled for July 18, 2015 (11 days, 10 nights). But the trip will book fast and registrations have to be secured now.

You’ll also save $200 (the price goes up soon)…

www.travelsbynature.com

See the full itinerary at the link above, as well as pricing, dates and registration info.

See you in Greece!

 

Greg

PS: Don’t just click on the link — get your registration and deposit in as well. This trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and our group size will be small — so spaces are limited.

PPS: If you have any questions or need more info, feel free to drop me a line.

 

 

Polar Bear Plunge: My Kind of Detox

Polar Bear Club Detox

Today was the 7th time I participated in the Polar Bear Club and plunged myself into the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. Thanks to friends Shari and Vito who shared in the experience today!

Charge in

There’s something exhilarating (and perhaps a bit crazy) about jumping into icy waters wearing not much more than a bathing suit and a pair of water shoes.

First of all, a polar bear plunge is a figurative way of washing away any holiday excesses and starting the year fresh. Call it a symbolic detox. (And a symbolic detox is the only kind of detox I believe in).

It’s also just a fun, social activity. Yes, I know — you may have other definitions of “fun”…

I’ve done organized dips, unofficial plunges and even tried regular ice-water dousing. Speaking of fun, this was me on the Bruce Peninsula last year, and yes — those are snowshoes.

Polar Bear Dip Detox

OK, so maybe I am a bit nuts.

Despite the challenge, cold-water immersion or dousing does have some real benefits:

It increases your tolerance to stress and boosts your immunity. Whenever you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, you are training to expand your zone of comfort. You’ll be less likely to complain that you’re too hot or too cold.

It can help alleviate muscle soreness. One of my fellow plungers today was suffering from a sore shoulder, and he noticed that the pain went away after our dip. That may be anecdotal, but there is significant research that validates cold-water therapy as a credible tool for inflammation control and pain relief among athletes.

There is also some talk about ice baths being able to increase your fat-burning potential. Tim Ferris wrote about the effect of ice-water baths on “brown fat” (a type of fat that burns energy rather than storing it) in his book “The Four-Hour Body“.

Of course most people struggle with finding time to exercise and eat properly, let alone engage in regular ice-therapy, so I’m not suggesting you start immersing yourself in ice-water baths every other day…

But some exposure to cold water is “good for you”, there’s no doubt.

Try taking a cold shower.

If you’re brave, you can try some ice-water dousing (remember the ALS ice-bucket challenge)?

The Russians and Scandinavians have been doing it for years…

Whatever you do, keep safety in mind and be aware that there are some risks.  You should be in reasonable shape and not be at risk of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure problems or stroke.