9 Active Retreats To Kick-Start 2012

Before those resolutions get sidelined (it is only mid-January, people), book a trip that re-envigorates fitness and well-being goals while also acting as a full-fledged vacation. We're betting that a biking trip through Tuscany, tennis lessons in Mallorca, skiing in Jackson Hole, or a yoga retreat in Hawaii would help anyone keep a resolution to be more active. The kind of motivation these nine retreats require is little more than getting to the next wine tasting or making it through yoga to sample more local Caribbean fare, sending excuses and boredom straight out the window.

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Most would need Jillian Michaels yelling in their ear to feel like leaving the house in 35-degree weather at the end of a long work day just to take a yoga class. But no extra motivation will be necessary when yoga classes overlook the Caribbean at the Rosewood Little Dix Bay and are followed by a cliff-side massage and a dinner of miso-glazed grouper. Shifting from spectator to participant is easy when it means getting personal tennis lessons at the luxe La Residencia in Mallorca, the hometown of tennis great Rafael Nadal. Amateurs and experts alike are welcome for lessons, followed by yellowtail tartare with dates and caviar or wild sea bass with lemongrass and squid risotto.

Learning to ski for the first time (or even taking a refresher course) can be intimidating, but jumping on and off the slopes in Jackson Hole, with hearty tortilla soup and stuffed peppers as delicious rewards, is a great way to start fulfilling resolutions. So whether you decided to be more fit, more healthy, more adventurous, or all of the above in 2012, start the year with a jolt — like diving, mountain biking, horseback riding, or yoga — in a far-flung locale.