Updated January 2024
With health and wellness being a top priority for many, there’s never been a better time to plan a vacation to focus on you. Dubbed by some as a “fit-cation,” this getaway can revolve around a time to relax, focus on your health goals and channel the best version of you. Offering both outdoor and indoor activities and treatments year-round, Duluth is the perfect spot for your own personal health and wellness retreat.
In Duluth, when the weather gets cold and there’s snow on the ground, people don’t stay inside…they just add a couple layers. No matter your skill level or interests, Duluth is full of outdoor activities to move your body and make you love the cold like we do! Plus, those who brave the winter elements will be rewarded with beautiful scenery around every corner, along with a unique way to put their muscles to work.
Mountain bikers are sure to love fat tire snow biking. With miles of trails and many beginner class opportunities at Ski Hut, Duluth is the spot to adopt this new hobby. Not far from thrilling snow biking trails, you can find even more routes for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and winter hiking. You’ll hardly feel like you’re exercising as you move through a winter wonderland. If you are looking for a view of Duluth from up above, give downhill skiing, snowboarding or tubing a try at Spirit Mountain. And, as any Minnesota town must have, there are a plethora of ice skating opportunities, including the free rink with Lake Superior views at Bayfront Festival Park or under the lights at Spirit Mountain’s rink.
There’s also an abundance of options for those who’d rather work up a sweat inside. Duluth Climbing and Fitness is the perfect spot to try or practice bouldering. If you enjoy group exercise classes, check out Destination Fitness or Movo Studio where you will find drop-in classes like yoga sculpt, full body burn or HIIT (high-intensity interval training). XMT-3 Training Studio is a great spot for private training sessions. Winter chill in your bones? Warm up with a hot yoga class at Duluth Yoga or loosen up with a variety of classes at one of the other studios: Evolve Yoga, Full Circle Yoga, Inner Bliss Soul Yoga, Runa Yoga, Svalja Yoga, Yoga North.
Now let’s talk about the “cation” part of a “fit-cation.” In Harmony Reiki holds meditation classes, workshops exploring intuition, slow flow yoga and many more rejuvenating experiences. Infinity Massage and Wellness is here to help you relax and renew. Located just a few minutes from Canal Park is Cedar + Stone Nordic Sauna, where visitors can experience a centuries old ritual. Cedar + Stone is also home to a floating sauna, a 40,000-pound vessel that fits 10 people, with patio seating on one side of the barge and a ladder into Lake Superior on the other. And of course, no vacation is complete without a little shopping, so stop by Weeping Willow Heartfelt Gifts to peek at new health and wellness goods. Or, if you’re ready for new shoes to keep up with all of your activities, Duluth Running and Tortoise and Hare Footware will help find the most perfect pair.