Health and Fitness Travel with Refuel Concept

Wellness travel on the beaches of Mauritius

While travel cravings brewed steadily in the background for the past 3 months, we took the time to connect with celebrity fitness-duo, Naomi Teal and Bolko Aleksiev from Refuel Concept to explore the future of health and fitness travel in a post-COVID-19 world. With many travelers re-evaluating the way in which they travel and the effects of a balanced lifestyle on their health, Ker & Downey® Africa chats to One&Only Le Saint Géran’s wellness experts on how they are incorporating fitness, health and mindfulness on the luxury traveler’s Mauritius itinerary. 

07.

Ker & Downey® Africa: How long have you been working in the health and fitness industry and how long have you and Naomi been involved with Refuel Concept?

Bolko: I graduated in New York with a BSc in Sports Science back in 1998 and started a very fortunate career as a trainer in LA in 1999. After spending 3 years in LA training celebrities for movie roles and maintaining their lifestyle goals, I moved to London where I continued my role as a celebrity trainer but my goal was to be more involved with professional athletes due to my sports science background. In 2005 I had the opportunity to help a very talented football player with his speed and agility which enabled me to prove my skill set. This was the start of my 6-year career as a performance coach for Premiership Football Players. Then in 2012, I was asked to be a private trainer to a prestigious family based in London which exposed me to several other high net-worth clientele. Naomi and I initially meet each other back in 2004 but started our relationship in 2014. Naomi was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2011 and I soon came to understand that she had a strong desire to learn about her autoimmunity and how she could heal herself through food and healthy lifestyle habits. Naomi enrolled in a nutritional science course and from that point on we both felt we wanted to pay it forward by helping others and in 2015 ReFuel was born…

08.

Ker & Downey® Africa: You offer personal training sessions for One&Only guests, are these training sessions suited to all fitness levels, or do you have to be familiar with high-intensity workouts?

Bolko: The service I offer to guests at O&O are for ALL levels of fitness. I offer 1 ON 1, couples sessions to family training ranging from strength & conditioning, weight management, lifestyle maintenance, cross-training, plyometrics, and HIIT. I tailor my sessions to the client’s needs and abilities, that’s why I believe movement has no restrictions on age or ability, in fact, the older we become the more movement plays an important role in optimum wellbeing and longevity.

09.

Ker & Downey® Africa: What is your philosophy on staying in shape and living a balanced lifestyle?

Bolko: Maintaining an all-round healthy lifestyle is about so many different factors, including how you’re eating and drinking to relaxing, moving and thinking when it comes to living your best healthiest life. These fundamental habits can be applied by everyone and aren’t meant to be complicated, with consistency and commitment we are all capable of achieving optimum health and wellness. 

Top Tips from Bolko:

• Nutrition is the key, and we are what we eat. A balanced diet of protein / healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Reducing refined sugars, dairy,  processed foods and alcohol consumption – and remembering to drink 2-3 litres of water per day.

• Sleep is a very underestimated part of our overall health and overlooked by most. Neuroscience shows that a good night’s shut-eye (6 to 8hrs) can make us happier, healthier, smarter and even younger – not to mention it reduces inflammation and stress which is the cause of most chronic illnesses.

• Relaxing comes in many forms, whether it be reading a book, meditating, breathwork, yoga or pilates.

• Movement is very personal and is specific to your own objectives and body type. Walking may sound outdated in an age where CrossFit and  HIIT workouts are considered the holy grail. I believe we should be moving as much as possible whether you’re in a gym or wanting to be outside in nature. Simply walking more is a great way to add movement to your day, which aids digestion and detoxification by activating your lymphatic system and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Mental health is probably the most important one and without a healthy mindset, all of the above won’t be as effective. We need to monitor our self-talk and break down any self-limiting beliefs.

Interested to invest in your health and fitness while on holiday with Ker & Downey Africa? Explore our 10 Day Health & Fitness Safari featuring Refuel Concept here or get in touch with our LuxVenture® Designers to tailor your fitness travel itinerary to Africa today.