Home USA West

Jump Start Fitness at The Oaks and The Palms Spas
Rate it! Votes (1) | Comments (0) By Cheri Sicard Photos: The Oaks at Ojai and The Palms at Palm Springs Posted August 6th, 2007

Ok. This is it. You swear this is the year you will get in shape, start exercising and lose that extra weight. Noble ambitions to say the least. Why not give your new healthy lifestyle a jumpstart with a stay at a spa?

Southern California boasts two wonderful, yet affordable, vacation getaways that will put you well on the way to achieving your fitness goals. A stay at The Oaks at Ojai or The Palms at Palm Springs is a wonderful way to motivate yourself into keeping your New Year's Resolutions, not to mention an invaluable educational experience. You'll have everything you need to go about getting in shape in a reasonable and healthy manner.

Both spas offer sixteen different exercise and fitness classes per day covering a balanced workout of stretching, aerobics and resistance training. Most classes are 45 minutes in length giving visitors option of choosing as many (or as few) as they desire. The daily "Introduction to Fitness" classes cover the fundamentals of health and fitness and even seasoned health nuts can always learn something new.

In addition to structured exercise classes, the resorts take advantage of their surroundings offering hikes and nature walks in Ohai's spectacular mountains and Palm Springs scenic desert. The morning hike is an unbeatable way to clear the mind, get in tune with nature and burn calories all at the same time!

Spa Cuisine
The food plan at The Oaks and The Palms is 1000 calories a day -- low fat, salt and sugar fare that surprisingly tastes ! Food consultant Eleanor Brown accomplished the impossible task of creating the truly appetizing low fat/low cal menu by using fresh herbs, lemons, wine, spices, gourmet vinegars and homemade salsas.

One need never be hungry as there are three meals and several snacks served throughout the day. Guests can also help themselves to fresh fruit, coffee or teas at any time. There are menu options for vegetarians or those with special requests.

If you still feel hungry, there are extra food options such as athlete's portions, a baked potato with dinner or boiled egg with breakfast to help ensure you have ample energy throughout the day.

One only has to talk to the fellow guests to realize that both spas have a large, extremely loyal following. It's not unusual to meet guests that have been coming back to their favorite retreats for years. One woman put it best when she told me, "This is just for me. I've been all over the world, I've been there, done that, but when I truly want to relax and indulge myself, this is where I come."

Founded by Sheila Cluff, a fitness pioneer who introduced cardio-vascular dance (now known as aerobics) to the world in the 1950's she is especially proud of her accomplishments with The Oaks and The Palms. "It's important for people looking for a spa vacation to realize the value they are getting for the money. We are not The Golden Door, so if someone has their heart on going there, they may not be happy."

That may be true, but what The Oaks and The Palms lack in designer rooms and frills is more than made up for in the price difference. While they may not be the Cadillac of spas, they are comfortable and give excellent value for the money. Several of the guests I spoke with much preferred the friendly ambiance of "Sheila's Spas" to their higher priced cousins and many also expressed that the food at The Oaks and Palms was better than other spas they had tried.

While the rates at The Oaks and The Palms are lower than many other spas, they still offer a full range of "pampering" services such as facials, massage and body scrubs. "Fireside chats" and evening programs featuring well known authors and experts in the fields of fitness, medicine, fashion or business frequently occupy evenings at the spas.

Budget Considerations
For those on a tight budget, several options are offered, including a frequent guest program. In December there is a stay six nights, get the seventh free special. For those who need a longer stay and can brave the scorching July and August Palm Springs heat, The Palms has an incredible stay two weeks get the third free special.

It's difficult to decide which spa to stay at. Guests at both have various reasons for choosing their favorite and by and large are very loyal to one or the other. I found the choice most often comes down a preference in the surrounding area.

Ojai is a quaint small town nestled amid beautiful mountains. A well known "new age" community, it is a paradise for outdoor recreation and nature lovers. Palm Springs is much more cosmopolitan with scores of trendy boutiques, not to mention shopping that will give Beverly Hills a run for its' money. The mountains and desert surrounding the town allows plenty of activity for the nature lover as well.

For additional Information call:

• The Oaks at Ojai at 805-646-5573 or 800-753-OAKS for reservations or visit their web site.
• The Palms at Palm Springs at 619-325-1111 or 800-753-PALM for reservations or visit their web site.

• Typical Day's Food Plan at the Spa

There are no comments for this item

Be the first to leave a comment

You must be a registered member to leave a comment. So why not sign up now?