There has been a growing trend in recent times for different types of themed holidays.

There are medical tours available, where you can spend a holiday abroad and get a nose job or new hip replacement, often at a fraction of the cost back home. There are also adventure holidays, where you can strap yourselves to a flimsy piece of elastic cord and leap into the dark, foreboding abyss in the name of fun and exhilaration. Indeed the days of relaxing on a beach, sipping a cocktail and doing nothing more strenuous than slipping on a pair of sunglasses seems to be a thing of the past and this is particularly the case in Vietnam, the home of mixed martial arts and one of the many places in which MMA now grows, from the US and Brazil to martial arts powerhouses China and Thailand.

As health and fitness has become something of an obsession for many and as gym membership grows exponentially, fitness experts are continually seeking something new and innovative to get us into their club and undertaking some form of exercise. This is why increasing numbers of fitness experts are heading to Vietnam, seeking to learn the secrets of why martial arts exponents of all ages and sizes, are amongst the fittest human beings on the planet and how they can translate this knowledge into good practice back home.

It is not difficult to see why they are attracted to Vietnam. Along with the experience and knowledge that they desire first hand, the country is blessed with some of the most spectacular scenery in the Far East. Furthermore, there are now an increasing number of low cost flights available to transport you to this mystical place of learning, as well as a large number of discount hotels that mean staying in the country is not an undue strain on the finances.

Indeed such is the attraction it is not only the fitness experts that are choosing to holiday in Vietnam. Many ‘fitness tourists’ are flocking to the country to learn a great deal more about their own levels of fitness and how to improve them, as well as exploring this fascinating country. The experiences and knowledge they learn on their trip more than justify the initial cost.

However the UK is a place that embraces the new as well as the old. As well as traditional martial arts training techniques being of interest to many fitness tourists, increasing numbers of training facilities in the UK are using modern technology to improve the fitness and abilities of their clientele. Groundbreaking new fitness equipment is being widely used throughout the country in allegiance with the more traditional methods of training. This new equipment includes the Power Plate, a machine which vibrates causing instinctive muscular contraction, thus leading to improved strength and endurance as well as a myriad of other positive health benefits. It is this combination of the old martial arts techniques with the new, which has helped make Vietnam arguably one of the top fitness holiday destinations in the world.

Vietnam is not only a place fit for a great holiday, you could easily claim that it is the fittest place for any holiday!

4 May 2010