Fitness Retreats - 5 to Choose From

A yoga break at the Island Experience. Photo: Courtesy of the Island Experience

Tired of indulging in one too many margaritas and slacking off on exercise during vacation? Then you might love a fitness retreat. Although the length of each retreat will vary, the concept is similar: You'll head to a specific destination where you'll focus on healthy eating and daily exercise. Interested? Check out these five (prices don't include airfare):

If you're seeking an adrenaline rush: the Pinnacle Challenge in Palm Springs, Calif.

This three-day, kick-butt retreat will challenge your inner athlete. Each day, you'll do yoga, hiking, water exercise, weight training and yoga. Meanwhile, you'll indulge in organic cuisine and undergo several fitness tests, as well as educational lectures. The bonus? Two massages. Cost: $1,950 single occupancy or $1,450 double occupancy.

If you want to balance mind and body: Via Yoga in Sayulita, Mexico

How can you not love a vacation that melds surfing with yoga? Start each morning with a 90-minute yoga class in a studio with oceanfront views. Later, take a one-hour surf lesson and another 90-minute yoga class. The six-night retreat also includes breakfast, three dinners, airport transfers, one-hour massage and a day trip to Punta Mita. Cost: $2,995 to $3,495 for a single-private standard villa or $2,095 to $2,595 for a double-shared standard villa.

If you have limited time and money: the Birdwing Spa in Litchfield, Minn.

Soak up the tranquility at the Birdwing Spa with a two-day package that includes five spa meals; fitness activities like yoga, core training and water volleyball; wellness presentations; massage; and a facial or herbal body wrap. You can also take advantage of the 2.5 miles of lakeshore and 15 miles of wooded trails by hiking, biking, kayaking, snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Cost: $515-675.

If you want a complete education in healthy living -- and a jumpstart on weight loss: Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Fla.

Pritikin guests are serious about healthy living, as the center teaches you everything from cooking healthfully and reading food labels to understanding how the American diet sets you up for chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. During the week, you'll undergo a complete medical work-up, receive a customized exercise plan and get your diet analyzed. Meals, fitness and education classes, and hotel costs are included. Cost: $3,900 for the first week and about $2,900 for subsequent weeks.

If you're a jetsetter yearning for a tropical destination: The Island Experience in Ilha Grande, Brazil

Leave stress behind when you travel to this seven-day retreat on an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The program, which runs March through May and September through November, includes outdoor workouts like hiking and sea kayaking, yoga and meditation. You also get five one-hour massages, three meals and snacks daily, three nights of Brazilian cultural entertainment, and airport transfers. Cost: $2,200.

AOL Health has more about the philosophies behind the Pritikin Diet.