5-Day Outdoor Fitness Retreat in the Languedoc Countryside

The house sits on the edge of a village in the Hérault, around 40 minutes inland from Béziers. Training happens on the lawn and gravel terrace beside the house, and on the trails that start at the gate - old drovers' paths that run between vineyards and scrub, with enough climbing to make a 45-minute run feel like a session. Sessions are usually two blocks a day, one before breakfast and one in the late afternoon when it has cooled down.

A typical morning starts with a mobility warm-up at 07:00, then either a trail run or a circuit of loaded carries, kettlebell swings, squats, lunges and step-ups using benches and low walls around the property. After breakfast there is a longer block on two or three of the days - a hike up to a viewpoint, a swim in the river gorge, or a cycling ride on quiet roads if that is what the group wants. Afternoons are free until roughly 17:30.

The evening session is shorter and lower intensity: core work, stretching, and on at least one evening a session on the terrace with resistance bands and bodyweight only. The last day finishes with a group hike followed by lunch, so people can be away by early afternoon.

The training is led by a qualified strength and conditioning coach who has run these weeks for several years. It is not a franchise programme - the content changes depending on who is in the group and what the weather is doing. If it is 34 degrees, nobody is running hill repeats at midday.

The location is the main thing that makes it different. The Languedoc is quiet, cheaper and less polished than Provence next door. Roads are empty, the trails are not marked or crowded, and there is a lake and a river within walking distance of the house for swimming. Guests fly into Béziers, Montpellier or Carcassonne, or arrive by train to Béziers and get collected.

What's included

- 5 nights accommodation at the retreat house - All meals from dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 5 - Two guided training sessions per day - Guided trail runs and hikes - One longer half-day hike with river swim - Optional bike ride on quiet roads - Use of kettlebells, bands, mats and sled - Group briefing and individual form coaching - Transfers from Béziers on request

What's not included

- Flights and travel to Béziers, Montpellier or Carcassonne - Travel insurance - Airport or station transfers unless arranged in advance - Drinks outside of meals - Restaurant meals on free afternoons - Massage or physio treatments - Personal training one-to-one outside the group sessions - Laundry