April, 2010:

Activities Galore at Dreams Punta Cana

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Dreams Punta Cana activities are never-ending!! It’s difficult to know where to begin!
Activities begin at 9 A.M. with the Fit Bodies Inc. guest instructor teaching stretching, then aerobics, both on the stage facing the ocean.The Core Zone for teenagers is outstanding and if you travel here with your teens you may never see them. Not to worry, adults are welcome there, too! The Core Zone includes: billiards, archery, a batting cage, a climbing wall, a mechanical bull, snacks, Wii, Playstation and practically whatever you can name, they provide. General activities oriented for teenagers are stretching, Spanish lessons, soccer games, water polo, water balloon fights, ping-pong and volleyball tournaments. Some nights is also a teen disco.

Explorer’s Club is children only, aged 3-12, and activities are from 9 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. Once a week there is a camp-out for the kids, too. There are no parents allowed and they will give you a cell phone in case you need to be reached. There is a Kid’s Club for children under 3 for part of the day as well. The resort’s staff is CPR and Red Cross first-aid trained. On today’s Explorer’s Club schedule is a bike tour, Earth day celebration (they plant trees) with a picnic, water polo, a giant Connect Four tournament, bottle painting, a face painting competition, dinner, movie and a mini-fashion show. The activities vary everyday.

We spotted flamingos and peacocks-Beautiful birds!

For the kids of all ages, the activities are as non-stop as my flight into PUJ. Despite all the activities, your experience can be as simple as the pool, beach, cold drinks (top-shelf liquors, by the way), and naps. For more engagement, there are the fitness activities, Spanish lessons, Bocce ball, beach volleyball, horse shoes, Olympic game competitions and even more activities. The activities change everyday. Right now there is excitement just outside our patio door as the pool volleyball matches continue. Coming this summer is paintball! Tonight is the beach party and I know the limbo competition will be fun and hilarious! I cannot wait!

The spa appears fantastic! There is a huge koi pond and some are very big and fun to watch. The prices for spa services are very fair and a huge variety of services are offered with specials everyday. Above the spa is the fitness center, open daily from 6 A.M.-8 P.M. and it is big and clean. Three treadmills, free weights, brand new nautilus equipment, stair climbers, elliptical; you name it, they have it. This is a well equipped gym. The gym use is included for everyone’s use. There is also a Wellness Center within the spa and this includes sauna, plunge pool, hot tub, steam room, really neat massage shower but this is not included in the all-inclusive package for guests. The cost is $30 for one day or $85 for a weekly pass. Many spa services include an hour of Wellness Center time.

There are additional activities off the resort, from dune buggy tours, Segway tours, horseback riding, and scuba excursions. You can also tour more areas of Dominican Republic from the resort, such as traveling to Santo Domingo (the first city of the new world discovered by Christopher Columbus), The tour staff here are more than happy to help you plan your outward excursion.

Again, this resort has the best entertainment I have ever seen!

To learn more about traveling to teach your fitness specialty of yoga, pilates, group fitness, tennis or personal training visit Fit Bodies Inc.

These fish are always hungry!

Every morning is a beautiful morning for yoga

A day at Zoetry Agua Punta Cana

Apr 30th, 2010

by Lisa Marie Snowden.

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Zoetry Agua Punta Cana is located just minutes from Dreams Punta Cana. It is very small, only 51 rooms, so being a part of the guest’s wellness experience is very personal.

This resort has a gorgeous beach. It is very long and I would approximate at least 250 yards, all lined with palm trees. This beach is kept in pristine condition. For a person that wants to walk or run alongside this white and hot-sanded beach, it’s expansive and smooth. There may be another resort close by, but I did not see it nor any people other than the guests basking under grass-covered umbrellas on Agua’s beach.

A restaurant named Indigo sits oceanfront offering International fare for lunch and dinner in a casual setting. There are cold drinks and comfortable couches to sit back and watch the waves roll by. Next to Indigo is the best pool area for aqua aerobics with a wooden deck perfect for you to stand on while teaching.
There are two additional restaurants. Open all day is Amaya, which is casual Spanish and Dominican cuisine. And finally, Fork is a fusion of International cuisine in a fine dining setting with rare vintage wines included. The combination of fine dining within the open and breezy room is truly unique. If you are too relaxed to leave your room for dinner, then 24-hour room service is included with your Endless Privileges™ package.

Walking through this resort I spot a number of perfect areas for pilates, yoga or meditation classes. Personally, I am a shade-dweller and would choose the spa are. The spa’s terrace is designed with wooden floors and pergola. The breezes drift through the open walls. Or take the class indoor the spa, listening to the pool fountain.

The walkways are full of well-maintained gardens of flowers and exotic Caribbean plants. Stand on a bridge and feed healthy koi fish while their colors and movement captivate your attention.

For extra indulgence you seek, visit the spa and choose a service you are craving. The prices are fair and services diverse. The Zoetry Resorts are renowned for their spa services and ambiance so please indulge in at least one spa service for yourself.

To view availability for you to teach at Zoetry Agua, you may read it’s detailed description, and view more photos at Fitness PRO Travel.

Zoetry Infinity pool-perfect for aqua aerobics classes

From Secrets Sanctuary to Dreams Punta Cana

Apr 29th, 2010

by Lisa Marie Snowden.

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It’s true; I am traveling just like any other fitness professional would be traveling upon teaching for Fit Bodies Inc. Yesterday Secrets Sanctuary went from 30% occupancy to 100% occupancy and my room was needed. Bumped. Bummer? Nah. But I did offer to stay and sleep on my balcony!

I was told we are going to be moved to another resort just before my 9:30am yoga class. As a guest instructor, I understand this can happen anytime, although it is rare, and in the spirit of business we should are glad the resorts have so many guests. In a way, we feel the resort’s max capacity should mean they need more fitness instructors, but alas there are only so many rooms to go around. Chad and I packed up our things, ate a wonderful lunch and said good bye to my new friends. Tony is a member of the Activities staff who is very motivating and fit. He conducts the a.m. power-walks and also the aqua aerobics. If you teach here and offer aqua classes I’m sure your skills will be appreciated and this class is at 11:30 or noon. His class encourages friendship and conversation among the pool people, like myself, and this I appreciate.

Here we are now at Dreams Punta Cana where Mr. Jose Tolentino personally greeted us with big smile. This is someone who I correspond with on a regular basis and so to meet him, put an official face and voice to his email signatures is especially meaningful to me. A cold drink and towel welcome us after the 55-minute ride from Cap Cana to Dreams Punta Cana.

This resort is way big. Over 650 rooms, and all of them are next to the pool, which the rooms basically surround with the ocean at the end. Despite the size, I feel personal attention from the housekeepers to the restaurant service. They are almost always smiling, to resort guests and to one another. I think the staff at Sanctuary is absolutely top notch but here at Dreams Punta Cana they must have written the manual on resort hospitality.

Last night I saw the best resort entertainment I have ever seen. Dreams Punta Cana is an exciting, activity filled resort and their entertainers are absolutely top notch, coming from a dance or gymnast background and work very hard, practicing from 11a.m. to at least 6p.m. everyday. This does not even include the time they spend performing. I have so much respect for them.

The fitness classes here are only 30 minutes long, so prepare to teach more often, but shorter classes. The guest fitness pros teach 4 thirty-minute classes and Mr. Tolentino wants pros to offer multiple formats. Being I only teach yoga, I am an exception to this rule. I sign off for the moment to teach the 10 a.m. class and then Mr. Tolentino is taking us on a tour of Zoetry Agua. This is what I have been waiting for and I am very anxious to see the resort! You can rest assured I will have a detailed report about Zoetry Agua this evening.

More about traveling as a fitness professional can be found at Fit Bodies Inc. and if you are a fitness professional create a complimentary travel account to book trips at Fitness Pro Travel

Expansive beach big enough for everyone.

First day teaching at Secrets Sanctuary

Apr 25th, 2010

by Lisa Marie Snowden.

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Punta Cana’s airport is cool and welcoming. The airport roof is grass and they have super big ceiling fans to keep the indoor spaces breezy. We were greeted with smiles everywhere and lots of positive energy. It was easy to move through customs, collect luggage and move on to a taxi service outside. Per person, there is a US $10 entry-tax when you arrive. The gentlemen running the taxi services are friendly and we found the $30 taxi rate to the hotel very acceptable. After the 15-minute drive, our driver made sure we made it to check-in without confusion. BTW “Sanctuary” is not a Spanish word and the taxi drivers did not understand us at first. Secrets “Sanctuario” is better understood.

We waited only 10 minutes for our room, which was impressive since we arrived prior to check-in time. Our room is beautiful and I like the location, as I have realized we are in close proximity to all the resort activities. Words really cannot describe the style and beauty of this resort. I want to call it beach contemporary, but really it is so much more elegant and majestic. As for how the resort is ran, so far the word constantly coming to mind is “immaculate.”

Secrets Sanctuary is the most elegant, relaxing resort I have ever visited. Everything is immaculate from check-in, to the service all the way to the pristine gardens surrounding this huge property. The resort only has 175 rooms but based on the property grounds you would think they could host an army. There is space to go anywhere and call it your own. There are two beaches here. The beach pictured from our balcony is relatively small but spacious with beach chairs everywhere. No pressure to be out early for the sake of claiming beach or pool chairs. They are plentiful. But on the other side of the resort is a huge, expansive and smooth beach where in the nighttime distance you can see the airport runway lights. We had a lovely dinner at “Wok” the Asian restaurant. I love sushi and can tell you this sushi is very good. Very fresh and the service was excellent. Walking around the resort at night is an activity in itself and I could spend every night here doing this exact same thing.

Carlos called me to introduce himself as the assistant activities director and I met him during our poolside lunch yesterday. He is very nice and was very gracious and receptive to my presence. I forgot to ask him where the yoga mats are, so I will track them down today for the remaining classes this week.
I taught a private yoga session today but expect more students as the week progresses. During breakfast I introduced myself to some guests and told them about the yoga classes being taught this week. Through the week I will continue the shameless self-promotion of the wellness programming at Secrets Sanctuary.

Learn more about Fit Bodies Inc. and travel to an all-inclusive resort to teach your fitness specialty.

Dominican Republic, here we come!

Apr 23rd, 2010

by Lisa Marie Snowden.

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First stop, Dominican Republic!! Woo hoo!
Chad and I leave Saturday for my teaching vacation in Punta Cana. Oh my, Saturday is tomorrow~! I found us a direct flight from Cincinnati at a very reasonable price. We come home on a direct flight the following Saturday. I’m noting the “direct flight” part as since it should truly cut down the length of a typical Caribbean travel day and this makes me smile.
I am preparing my yoga classes, mostly through experience and practicing rather than flash cards with Sanskrit names. Some of them I know from experience but I am finding it is much better for me to spend time explaining what the body and breath are doing during the asanas then to know their names. So far I know the resort is gorgeous, the yoga room is out on the water and looks super cool, and I will be teaching two classes everyday, at 9:30am and 5pm. In Newport, I teach to friends and acquaintances for free in my home. At the resort, I will be teaching to people who speak other languages and will probably be older than my friends at home. My peers are lucky to find yoga because they have so much time to incorporate yoga into their lives. But I really enjoy teaching people who have given their bodies hell for years and years because they feel it more easily, so to speak. They have lived long enough in their bodies without yoga, that the practice’s affects are obvious to them. It’s gratifying teaching others to breathe more deeply and to know what it feels like to stretch and breath into a straight spine. Maybe what I’m really saying is I enjoy teaching beginner’s yoga?
I know regardless of how nervous I am, once I arrive at the resort my anxiety will be relieved with the cool cloth handed to me upon check-in. Already I imagine introducing myself to these new students of mine, and I smile just thinking about it. While at the resort, my classes will be dedicated to their satisfaction, regardless of their previous yoga experience. I look forward to providing them with the yoga experience they deserve to have while vacationing.
We still have much to do before departing Cincinnati tomorrow morning. Oh, and I need to brush up on my Español.
Hasta la próxima!

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Traveling to teach for Fit Bodies, Inc.

Apr 23rd, 2010

by Lisa Marie Snowden.

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This blog is, at its essence, about resorts and their wellness programming.

I am a new yoga teacher with 200 hours of teacher training, completed December 2009. My boyfriend and I share the responsibility of owning and operating a screen printing company. A few years ago when our start-up wasn’t exactly paying bills, I took on a few hours each week in the office upstairs, better known as Fit Bodies Inc. Fit Bodies Inc. is ran by Suzelle Snowden, my boyfriend’s Mother. She is an amazing person who created an amazing company.

Suzelle and I work very well together, especially motivating one another to “move away from the computer,” for a yoga class. We always agree taking the time for a class helps us complete tasks more efficiently once back in front of the computer.

Fit Bodies Inc. is a wonderful company to work for, even if only based on the day to day interactions made with our clients. Generally, answering the phone means spending about seven minutes explaining our program to a fitness or wellness specialist. They usually begin the conversation, “I heard about your program from a friend. What exactly do you do?” I start something like this…, “We send certified and experienced fitness instructors, personal trainers, tennis pros and yoga teachers to teach classes while they vacation throughout the Caribbean.” And then we continue the conversation about fitness. The pro tells me more about what they do and I tell them about resort openings, the cost, class schedule and how to choose and book a resort once they have decided. When speaking on the phone, I receive a lot of, “This sounds too good to be true.” What I love replying is, “It’s not”. It’s not too good to be true….Fit Bodies experience in the fitness industry began in 1986 and in 1995 instructor placement began.

How it began for me was taking a beginner’s yoga course in college six years ago and I have not stopped my practice since. Yoga has changed my life, and my body. It has changed the way I feel about myself and the way I see the world and view other people. I realized the value of the wellness industry, and more specifically the value of those fitness professionals who wake up everyday to change a person’s life through encouraging wellness.

Resort wellness programs encourage guests go home renewed. Fit Bodies fitness program sends guests home after their vacation and hopefully they take a little less than 3 pounds of gourmet food and drinks home with them, too. Maybe also a new sense of wellness, or favorite fitness formats, to take home and to keep. After all, wellness may be the most sought after vacation souvenir of all.