But it is only one of almost three dozen fitness classes, all part of the dawn-to-dusk workout, weight loss and education focus at the one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive Deerfield Health Retreat and Spa in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where my friend Kathy and I spent three nights recently.
The education aspect offered almost as many options. I wasn’t all that interested in the discussion on Pilates as an aid for back pain or the importance of self-massage but, with lectures on sleep deprivation, portion control, Top 20 Exercise Mistakes and many other topics, I was impressed with the offerings.
The first morning’s dilemma? Should I start with a sunrise hike, morning stretch, water aerobics, Pilates, yoga or a circuit class? Or just go back to sleep? Okay, unacceptable — especially with a mouth-watering breakfast awaiting at 8 a.m. I followed morning stretch with Butts and Guts — and all I kept thinking was, “Man, am I going to feel this tomorrow!” which is right there a high recommendation for the class. Kathy, a water maven, started her day with an aerobics Pilates class — I took notes.
You’re never far from food at Deerfield — three meals and two snacks daily are included – and from our first lunch upon arrival being Tomato Florentine soup filled with veggies, I thought if everything else is this good (and it was!), I’m never going home! But more on the food later.
Time for more exercise. I’m a novice yogi so admittedly I had some difficulty visualizing the cleansing of my lungs but I could still appreciate the relaxing — and oh yes, centering — nature of the exercise as I learned to follow the instructor encouraging me to “enjoy the stretch.” But I’m a veteran hiker, and Deerfield offers beginner, intermediate and advanced hikes, depending upon the day, and provides water bottles and walking sticks. We opted for the intermediate hike, and the guide took one look at Kathy and me (70-plus years can be deceiving…) and tried to talk us out of it, warning that the beginner hike was a stroll in the park compared with the intermediate. But our experience on the Appalachian Trail over the years stood us in good stead and the hike was not only eminently doable, but beautiful as well.
Since it had been at least two hours since we last ate, it was time for the “Morning Boost” snack. But in truth, Kathy and I rarely had the time or inclination to fit snacks into our schedules. We opted instead for a little circuit training to add some cardio and weights to the mix.
And then lunch was served. There are multiple choices for each meal plus daily specials, all calorie counted. All dinners — salad, entrée, veggie, dessert (and oh, those desserts!) are 600 calories; 1,200 calories in total for the day. Did I mention there are also two snacks (fresh fruit, smoothies, grilled pineapple, veggies and dip, dried fruit, etc.)? Are they sure this is also a weight loss center?
And it is, as many guests attested. The campfire at the fire pit even included s’mores. WHA? Everything is sugar-free but still… We attended the cooking class with Karen, the nutritionist, who kept up an ongoing informative patter about the pros and cons of various foods. I found out that all rice contains arsenic, which is nutritional information I could have done without. She made jerk chicken with mango salsa, rice (go figure!) with pecans, and asparagus. It was like eating another whole dinner — at a mere additional 200 calories. And the rice was so tasty it was easy to rationalize ingesting the life-threatening ingredient.
I felt obligated to actually count my day’s intake at least once. On a day that didn’t include the cooking class, s’mores or Saturday night mocktails, I had: a breakfast of bruschetta omelet with cheese plus cantaloupe balls; a lunch of Mexican corn soup, a huge plate of cottage cheese, tuna salad and fresh fruit; and a dinner of spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts, baked fish with string beans and ice cream with a sweet strawberry topping. Throw in some half-and-half with my morning coffee, and voila! A mere 1,065 calories. Hard to believe. Plus, I was stuffed.
But there were more workouts on the horizon. As I headed to Lo-Wei, which I’d never heard of, I overheard a guest excitedly exclaim: “Just being in the hammock is one of my favorite places.” I hardly even knew there was a hammock. And that’s one of the most appealing aspects of Deerfield. If you want just to relax and de-stress, that’s fine. If you want to work your butt off, that’s fine, too. Lo-Wei was followed by a Cybex Circuit class, then Core on the Floor, which one older participant characterized as “elder abuse.” I discovered, that contrary to popular belief, the core extends well beyond the abs and includes your butt, back, lats, spine, obliques and every body part in between — all of which were unmercifully tested. Getting up off the floor was the biggest challenge. It was great!
Another option unknown to me was Tabatas, a high-intensity interval training class. Kathy instead found time for her pool aerobics, including a 90-minute Restorative water class that was equivalent to walking four miles. According to Kathy: “Constant motion without excessive effort combine for a total body workout.” She was waterlogged but happy.
What also makes the Deerfield experience so special is the ambiance, camaraderie and laid-back 
atmosphere where everything feels natural and comfortable. In the evening, after that night’s lecture or other activity, folks just hung out in the lounge. With 80% of guests being repeat customers, staying from three nights to two months, the talk often turned to war stories accumulated over the years. It felt very much like a family.
That includes the staff, from whom a love for the spa readily radiates. In large part this is due to owner Joan Wolff, whose mother started Deerfield in 1979. I was surprised to find out there was no tipping allowed. As Joan explained: “The wait staff, trainers, masseuses and housekeepers are never tipped as much as they deserve so it’s all processed into their salaries.” This might explain why most of her staff have been there for more than 10 years.
So what do you need after a full day of hiking, weight lifting, water aerobics and yoga? A massage, of course. So naturally that’s also included. The next day, Kathy dragged me kicking and screaming to the car — but not until we had enjoyed another two meals and four classes before we left.
For more information, visit www.deerfieldspa.com or call 1.800.852.4494. A three-night, all-inclusive, weekend stay, double occupancy, ranges from $770 to $1,145, per person. Deerfield is open from mid-April to late October.
~ Fyllish Hockman
