Review: Vail Vitality Center

You don’t have to perform like Tim Howard, Venus Williams or Marshall Ulrich to be treated like an elite athlete at the Vail Vitality Center at the Vail Mountain Lodge. Whether you’re training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, looking to dominate at the next Tough Mudder or trying to adopt a more simple fitness routine, a retreat at the Vitality Center will help you set goals and also reach them- shunning any of the personal barriers that have kept you from the top of your game. And what better way to get in touch with your fitness than the base of Vail Mountain?

The Vail Vitality Center takes a strategic approach by mapping out a personal plan that will maximize efficiency and help you avoid overtraining. One way to take this approach is set up a session with a personal trainer who will run you through a metabolic test followed by a functional movement screening. The movement screening show the trainer what muscle groups you should focus more or less and show areas for improvement. Maybe your quadriceps are doing majority of the work and your hamstrings are suffering because of it. The metabolic test shows things like BMI and also body fat. Knowing these will help you set definitive goals to bring them in line. Both tests can be done for $25 . You could come up for a day for this or stay for a week or two to really set your goals in line.

If you are staying longer there are several fitness classes to enjoy in the recently renovated gym. There are more than 50 group fitness classes that include- yoga, Pilates, bootcamps and barre classes. Test your flexibility and tendon strength on the indoor climbing wall. Choose from the center’s roster of indoor cycling programs to prepare your legs for a grueling climb over a Colorado mountain pass. Grab some kettlebells and stretch cords in the signature gym program. But you are in Vail, after all, so why stay indoors in this world-renown outdoor playground?

Follow the resident outdoor fitness expert Ellen Miller up Vail Mountain for interval training. If there’s any person you should follow up a mountain, it’s Ellen Miller. The current coach and manager of the U.S. women’s running team, Miller is the only American woman (one out of only five women in the world) to have ever climbed Mt. Everest from both Nepal and Tibet—not to mention in 2013 she completed the Everest Trilogy by climbing the 26,980-foot Nuptse.

After trailing Miller up a mountain, you’ll probably need some quality time at the Vitality Center spa. Opt for the deep tissue massage, or perhaps choose a more involved treatment like the Nature, Body & Spirit package that involves dry body brushing; compressing the chest, neck and face with warm lavender; and a scalp and foot massage.

Now that your body has undergone rigorous testing, you should include some time to exercise your mental prowess. The center’s Educational Lecture Series includes such beneficial talks as “Ageless Athlete: Experience Whole Food Transformation” and “Foundational Movements to Increase Performance and Reduce Injury.” There is also medical and holistic healing services available to help your body along the road to peak performance.

Between sessions at the Vitality Center, retreat to your room at the adjoining Vail Mountain Lodge—a boutique hotel providing deep soaking tubs, fireplaces, and plush feather beds in each of the 27 guest rooms and condos. Before heading off for another busy day at the center, take a few moments to revel in Terra Bistro’s complimentary breakfast featuring certified organic and 100 percent natural cuisine. The bistro also serves lunch and dinner.

Take advantage of all Vail has to offer in addition to the Vitality Center. Eagle County boasts 343 miles of pristine mountain biking trails. July is ideal for exploring a portion of the 166 miles of hiking trails because the mountain meadows are bursting in color from blooming wildflowers. However, wildflowers do begin blooming as early as April.

To satiate your athlete appetite, secure a table at the restaurant Sweet Basil for lunch or dinner. Serving “seasonal creative American cuisine,” the restaurant’s menu will alone be a conversation piece, featuring dishes like sushi rice tater tots. Much of the restaurant’s produce is grown in an offsite garden. Two must-try dishes are the Borden Farm Tomato Salad (buffalo milk yogurt + compressed cucumber + dried olive puffed couscous + garden herbs and leaves) and the Cedar River Rib-Eye Steak (Olathe creamed corn + crispy parmesan spoon bread).

Although throwing back sake at dinner won’t do you any favors the next morning in Pilates, the drink could ease those soar muscles after hitting the climbing wall. Matsuhisa’s sake menu pairs nicely with its sushi and sashimi selection. But if you prefer your fish cooked, the house special Broiled Black Cod with Miso should not be missed.