Clothing: bring non cotton and shop for any new fitness clothes at major chains like Target. When everyone is huffing and puffing around you, they are really not looking at your fashion sense. But non cotton makes your clothes easier to wash out if you need to, in your sink! Some labels which might be trendier like Athletica might looks good, but they are not really for working out, my opinion. And like a wedding dress, you really never wear them again once the trip is over unless you take another fitness trip.

(Note: on our discount Canyon Ranch Weekends in Lenox MA there is free laundry with soap and machines on site. And at Ixtapan Spa, the hotel laundry is so inexpensive that you should bring half of your needs and get them laundered anyway)

Wear your sneakers or at least carry them on! You will not want to have to go shoe shopping the first day. If planning on hiking, then bring hiking shoes as sneakers in wet mud are slippery and mud covered sneakers are not welcomed inside fitness rooms.

Sleeping: Many women do not sleep well the first night of their trips. Excitement? Fear? Nerves? If you are going to a fitness resort, expect to sleep well – not the first night – but very well for the second. Your body needs time to adjust to muscles waking up and to new foods. If at Ixtapan, there is some altitude to deal with, and if at Canyon Ranch, there is only the ultra luxury, country quiet and deep pillows to get acquainted with.

Eating: Fitness resorts usually serve higher fiber, lower fat , sometimes diuretic foods. These will fill you up but sometimes leave you bloated. Do not overload on the salad bar or the fruit bowls; take it easy until you find your digestion can take it. Fiber can be hidden in chocolate sauce (using prunes for sweetness) or in crudités like jicama, salsa, etc. Many women will bring some in room cheats: peanut butter pretzels or some kind of protein rich snack in case they do feel hungry at times.

Booking options: Luxury resorts have options you need to pay extra for. Never feel intimidated. Listen to advice but do not feel you need to purchase products. On our last Canyon Ranch stay, several of us went to the free skin analysis sessions. We learned a lot about our skin, and were able to get information on ingredients to look for and those to avoid in outside products. The skin care professional was excellent and never pushed her line on us.

In a good resort you will rarely feel pressured, and if you do, simply say: Thank you for your advice, but I am not prepared to buy at this time.” Pressure is saved for the group on deal at your local hairdresser!

Choosing Amongst the Inclusions:  Here is where you need to do your research. Each resort has specialties. Read up on line, then choose what you feel will best change your life. Examples: Ixtapan Spa has a doctor who does acupuncture very economically, has daily hikes in the mountains, and it offers side trips to UNESCO Heritage colonial villages like Taxco. Canyon Ranch has a quasi medical approach to aspects of life and the opportunity to consult with doctors, nutritionists, exercise physiologists and others.

Examine what you want to get out of the trip, then be prepared to experiment once there. Each fitness resort has a changing course of classes and events.

Talk to Others Once There:  Tips from other guests are the best insights. Sit with others at meals, ask them point blank what they have loved so far. Ask them what they were neutral about (asking what they did not like in pubic can create whining).

Dining at a common table gives you opportunities to trade information so don’t stick with only your pals, move around conversationally.