Photograph by Charles Woods
Need to lose a few before braving the beach? Red Mountain Resort in Ivins, Utah, may be the key, the sort of boot camp that’s enjoyable when you’re in the thick of it, not just when you’re admiring the results. There are daily hikes in Snow Canyon State Park, which has soaring sandstone cliffs and lava flows, and 50 fitness classes to sweat through. Do warrior yoga poses atop a red rock cliff as the setting sun paints Snow Canyon pink, learn to read a compass with the GPS adventure course, rappel off 150-foot Cougar Cliff, and bond with wild mustangs. Sore muscles? Hit the spa before dinner. The food (house-made pizza, grilled chicken, sundaes) will help you keep trim without making you feel deprived. As long as you’re in the hood, check out Zion National Park, a mere 45 miles east.
