Every other person seems to be on a health kick. And it is telling even on holidays, as a niche group of people say goodbye to lazy brunches and languid sightseeing for workout sweat. Instead of spa retreats, 30-45-year-olds are going for fitness-focused vacations that range from martial art camps to strength training-led getaways.
Kaumudi Nookala, a software engineer in Hyderabad, was looking for something just like that. Fitness had long been a part of her life, but Covidrelated disruption and motherhood caused a long break from structured exercise. The 37-year-old wanted a holiday that felt purposeful. Last November, she signed up for a threeday Primal Movement Edition organised by The Burn Company, a fitness vacation-focused firm in Kerala.
Along with 15 participants, Nookala stayed at a quiet resort in Kozhikode where they were introduced to different types of movement through mudgar, a traditional exercise using a wooden club; animal flow, which is otherwise known as quadrupedal movement training; and the martial art form kalarippayattu. The group, she says, had people with different fitness levels. “When you mingle with them, even someone who doesn’t work out regularly gets motivated to start,” she says.
The Burn Company was started last year by Febin Zachariah, 28, and Dixon Alex Mathew, 31. A fitness enthusiast from Kottayam, Zachariah wants to expose people to multiple movement disciplines in non-intimidating settings. The company has hosted nine vacations focused on martial arts, primal movements, mountain biking and “yoga-infused recovery”. Most editions run for three days and are capped at 15-16 participants. About 95% of attendees are beginners, says Zachariah.
“Most sessions happen outdoors and the environment is curated to match the edition,” he says. He has had participants from various Indian states and from countries like Austria and Ireland.
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Exertion meets excursion
For people who turn to fitness vacations, the motivations are varied: some want to improve their mental wellbeing and energy levels or create habits that can be sustained after returning home, while others want exposure to different forms of exercise or rebuild their fitness after a long break. The main goal is to return home feeling healthier and motivated, says Michael Oszmann, director of Health Travel, a wellness holiday company based in London.
Fitness vacations can be short programmes ranging from three to seven days or longer bootcamps lasting anywhere from a month to six months for those seeking a more dramatic transformation.
Zachariah acknowledges the challenges of running fitness vacations, which are still niche: “It’s bootstrapped. Scaling without compromising on quality is the biggest challenge.”
Archita Mishra, a 33-year-old fitness trainer and nutritionist in Mumbai, says these camps remove the biggest barrier for most people trying to stay consistent with exercise—time. “At these camps, decision fatigue is removed,” she says. With Wi-Fi-enabled cafes and flexible schedules, participants can work and work out. “If you have slightly flexible hours or a work-from-home setup, you can use it to your advantage. These spaces put you in the right mindset and remove the stress of constantly deciding when and how to work out.” The variety of exercises is another draw. “You can try mixed martial arts (MMA), CrossFit and strength training all in one place,” says Mishra.
Niraj Kumar Borah, a former MMA fighter and triathlete from Assam, offers a more intensive version of the concept. Over the past five years, he says he has worked with about 4,000 clients at fitness vacations run by his company, HimalayanGurus. It has short vacations and long bootcamps that go on for six months. Participants come with goals ranging from fat loss to endurance- and muscle-building. Borah has hosted vacations in Shillong, Manali, Rishikesh and Leh.
Says Borah: “A lot of people are thinking about longevity in very practical terms. They want to be able to lift grocery bags, push a trolley and move comfortably as they age. They don’t want to deal with herniated discs or chronic lower-back issues. People understand that building strength and endurance is essential if they want to live well for longer.”
For fitness enthusiasts, international hubs such as Phuket—particularly, the Soi Ta-iad area in Chalong—have emerged as magnets. Often referred to as the world’s densest fitness strip, the area is packed with Muay Thai camps, CrossFit gyms and conditioning facilities.
Mishra, who attended a six-week bootcamp in Phuket, says the place has traditionally attracted intermediate and advanced trainees. “Earlier, I mostly met professionals there. But that’s changing. More beginners are showing up now,” she says.
Global growth
While non-premium fitness holidays cost Rs 25,000-50,000 for three days to a week, luxury fitness vacations can set you back by Rs 4-8 lakh for a week, according to Health Travel.
Beyond health outcomes, fitness has become a form of social signalling. Toned arms, as a Financial Times article recently noted, have emerged as a status symbol reflecting not just physical discipline, but the time, money and intent required to invest in gyms, Pilates studios and protein-rich diets.
Numbers underscore the shift. According to US-based nonprofit Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy is now larger than the green economy, IT, tourism and sports. Wellness tourism, one of the fastest growing segments before 2020, was hit during the pandemic. Yet it rebounded at a faster rate than overall tourism, reaching a peak of $893.9 billion in 2024.
Oszmann says they have observed a 55% rise in enquiries for fitness retreats, largely from travellers aged 35-45 years. He expects the trend to accelerate on the back of increased interest from Gen Z in wellness activities. “Hotels and resorts are expanding wellness offerings, with some retreats being curated or hosted by sports celebrities,” he says, pointing to tennis player Novak Djokovic hosting a retreat at Amanyara on the island of Providenciales in the Atlantic Ocean last year. Properties, he says, are designing purpose-driven programmes that go beyond traditional spa experiences to help guests achieve specific goals like improving fitness levels and losing weight.
Oszmann says new destinations are also emerging like the Zamaya Fitness Resort in Tulum, Mexico, a high-performance wellness property offering functional training, martial arts, Pilates, strength conditioning, recovery zones and holistic nutrition.
“We expect to see more properties like this opening in 2026,” he says. Burning fat is no longer a post-holiday bother; it is the beating heart of a vacation.
