Business of Well-being

Out-of-the-Box Tips to Keep You Resolved in 2017

New Year's resolutions. Are you still keeping yours? More than half of us make them, but only eight percent keep them. And far too often, this year's list is pulled straight from the recycling bin of last year's good intentions. It's time to change things up. We've collected a few great ideas to help the newly resolved jumpstart their 2017 goals and turn their aspirations into realizations.

Resolved: To be fit and healthy

  • Zennis, Anyone? Fusing disciplines and varying routines makes getting fit more fun and more productive. Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) gets fitness-minded 2017 guests off to a great start with a new lineup of fusion yoga classes and a yoga/tennis hybrid. New on the class roster are Vinyasa Reformer (combining Flow Yoga and Pilates Reformer) and TRX Yoga (fusing yoga with TRX training to challenge gravity).

    Zennis, led by Sanctuary's tennis pros, is a movement-based tennis clinic with a Zen component to promote relaxation, proper alignment and fluidity. Yoga classes are complimentary for Sanctuary guests; Zennis sessions are $50 per person.
  • Take Fitness Outside - and Out of the Box. Gym routines are great for the body, but an outdoor workout adds the bonus of a healthy mental boost. Take the benefits even further by switching up a classic sport like downhill skiing for the adrenaline kick of something new and different - say, snow kiting.

    Just a two-minute walk from the slopes of the renowned Breckenridge Ski Area, the brand-new Residence Inn Breckenridge is a great launch pad for snow kiting (think kite surfing but on skis or a snowboard) and other unusual winter sports available in the area.

Resolved: To conquer fears

  • Swim with the Sharks. Home to everything from sandbar and lemon sharks to massive tiger sharks, the waters off Florida's Gold Coast are ideal for facing a fear of the ocean's most notorious predators head on.

    The all-suite Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa is the perfect base for such an adventure, and can connect guests to a number of local operators who arrange shark dives - both cage and free, with snorkeling and SCUBA diving opportunities for all skill levels.

Resolved: To learn something new

  • Embrace your Inner (Julia) Child. Anyone seeking to up their game in the kitchen will find a wealth of opportunities at the Cooking School at Natirar, a historic estate on 500 pastoral acres in New Jersey's Somerset County. The school, located in the estate's Tudor-era carriage house, offers an extensive, daily curriculum focusing on seasonality and sustainability, often using produce harvested from Natirar's own 12-acre sustainable farm. Classes are available for all skill levels, with topics spanning the worlds of cooking, wine and entertaining.

Resolved: To step away from the screen

  • Disconnect (and Reconnect with the World Offline).  Element Boston Seaport is taking the carrot approach to encouraging guests to go offline. At check-in, guests are invited to hand over their cell phone for safekeeping the entirety of their stay. Those who manage to make it till check-out earn a free stay to be redeemed at a later date.

    They also receive a tip sheet on what to do while they are disconnected - like hop on one of Element's bikes-to-borrow for a spin around Boston, join the hotel's evening Relax receptions, or explore the Boston Seaport.

Resolved: To dive into adventure

  • Shipwrecks Galore. For armchair adventurers resolved to make 2017 the year they take a real-life plunge, shipwreck dives are a perfect goal. World-class wreck dives abound in the waters off Florida's Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, making it a top choice for new snorkelers and divers who want to work their way up from easy to expert. In fact, Pompano Beach enjoys a reputation as the wreck capital of Florida.

For a very different dive experience, the St. Lawrence River around upstate New York's 1000 Islands region is a legendary graveyard for ships spanning three centuries (one famous wreck dates back to the late 1700s). The 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel on the waterfront in Clayton is a great home base to explore them all.

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