Can you duplicate the experience of “The Biggest Loser” without trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels standing over you, ordering you to do one more rep or push-up?

NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group and Reveille, LLC announced today that The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge is now open for business. This destination resort and spa, which is located in Ivins, Utah, has become the newest addition to a growing list of The Biggest Loser health and fitness products that are dedicated to helping people adopt a healthy, “Biggest Loser” lifestyle. The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge will offer guests a comprehensive weight-loss experience that focuses on exercise, healthy nutrition and education, similar to what the contestants on NBC’s hit weight loss series “The Biggest Loser” experience during their time on the Biggest Loser Ranch. The announcement was made by Kim Niemi, Senior Vice President, NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music and Consumer Products Group, and Mark Koops, Managing Director, Co-Head of Domestic Television for Reveille.

Guests at The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge are offered a minimum one-week weight loss program, but they are welcome to stay as many weeks as they wish. The average day consists of at least six hours of physical exercise, which includes a wide variety of aerobic alternatives from hiking in the majestic Snow Canyon State Park, to swimming, to kickboxing, to mat pilates. There is an emphasis on exercise and movement, but the weight-loss resort is also focused on helping people change their lives through education. The fitness program and education series are designed to prepare guests to begin a new, healthier way of living when they leave the resort and the goal is to allow guests to experience the same sort of structured and nurturing environment as the contestants on “The Biggest Loser.”

“Becoming the exclusive resort for NBC’s hit reality series is a natural fit,” said Renee Jarvis, Marketing Director for The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge. “Our philosophies are the same in that we offer a unique weight-loss opportunity in a calorie controlled and structured environment with motivation from professional fitness experts.”

“The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge is an exciting and truly unique addition to ‘The Biggest Loser’ product line,” said Niemi. “So many viewers have watched contestants change their lives and bodies over the years and now they have an opportunity to try it themselves at this incredible resort and spa. We are really proud to be able to offer The Biggest Loser at Fitness Ridge to the public and we look forward to helping viewers at home make changes in their own lives with this spa.”

“This incredible new venture finally allows us to give so many more people access to world class education and facilities to get started on the path to a new healthy lifestyle,” said Koops. “The program offers incredible diversity in training and activity, so whether it’s taking off those final 10 pounds or kick-starting a new change, our fans will now be able to do it with the same level of commitment and quality that our contestants benefit from.”

The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge offers a comprehensive health and fitness experience for its guests. During their stay, guests are treated to three delicious meals a day, prepared by a trained, on-site chef and dietician. The low-fat, low-calorie meals are prepared with an emphasis on creativity and flavor. The total calorie intake is limited to 1200 per day. The delicious offerings include spinach and roasted red pepper frittatas for breakfast, couscous stuffed peppers with white bean and vegetable soup for lunch, and chicken breast with roasted root vegetables for dinner. Dessert is always served, including everyone’s favorite chocolate covered strawberries. Guests also learn how to prepare meals in a flavorful, low calorie way through on-site meal-preparation classes. Guests are offered a wide variety of aerobic activities including step toning and ball works as well as dance and core strengthening classes. In all, there are 20 different classes offered on the rotating schedule.

The weight-loss resort also focuses on training guests in adopting a new way of living, cooking, eating and staying fit. Guests have access to on-site licensed professionals, including a registered dietician and licensed counselor. These experts instruct guests how to approach meal planning and how to best recognize habits such as emotional and intuitive eating. Following the daily fitness schedule, guests are encouraged to relax and pamper themselves in the resort’s full-service salons. All services are geared toward relieving tension and restoring energy, balance and focus.

About The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge

The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge provides one of the most affordable, calorie-controlled, structured programs in the weight-loss spa industry. Designed to give lasting results, guests will experience a boot-camp style program that features incredible hiking, stimulating cardio and stretch classes, delectable, low-calorie spa cuisine and practical education on how to live a “Biggest Loser” lifestyle. Fitness Ridge began in 2002 as collaboration between Tami Clark, Michelle Kelsch and Cameron Kelsch, three experienced entrepreneurs dedicated to health and wellness. Located on 10 acres in southern Utah, just minutes from Snow Canyon State Park, The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge is surrounded by incredible scenery of majestic red bluffs, towering vermillion sandstone and black lava rock. It is a unique resort destination and a perfect place to reclaim your health. For more information, please visit www.biggestloserresort.com.

About The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser returned for an eighth season on NBC, September 15, 2009 (Tuesdays from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT). The first reality series where everybody “loses,” The Biggest Loser challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Hosted by Alison Sweeney (Days of our Lives), the series provides the contestants with challenges, temptations, weigh-ins and eliminations until the final contestant remains to claim the title of “the biggest loser.” Each team works out under the supervision of professional trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. The Biggest Loser is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions.

Beyond the U.S. where more than 100 episodes of the show have aired, The Biggest Loser has become a worldwide hit appearing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries. Since its debut in 2004, The Biggest Loser has grown to become a standalone health and lifestyle brand by developing tools and products inspired by the show and approved by its doctors and experts. Anchored by the online, subscription-based extension of the show, Biggestloserclub.com, The Biggest Loser Meal Plan, The New York Times best-selling books series, best-selling fitness DVD series, a line of appliances, fitness equipment, protein supplements and countless other health and lifestyle based products, The Biggest Loser consumer products program has generated over $50 million in spending with presence at more than 25,000 major retailers to date. The Biggest Loser was recognized as a top brand of the year in Advertising Age’s 2008 Marketing 50. Check out www.biggestloser.com for more information.

About NBC Universal Television DVD, Music, and Consumer Products Group

NBC Universal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. NBC Universal Television DVD, Music, and Consumer Products Group manages all global ancillary television business endeavors for the NBC Universal Television Group, including third-party home entertainment distribution, consumer products, musical soundtracks, special markets projects and the NBC Universal Online Store.

Reveille

Reveille is a leading independent television studio with a major presence in scripted and unscripted television and digital entertainment, and a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers. Reveille’s scripted entertainment programming includes “The Office” and “Kath and Kim” (NBC), “Ugly Betty” (ABC) and “The Tudors” (Showtime). The company’s roster of highly successful reality programming includes “The Biggest Loser”, “American Gladiators”, and “Nashville Star” (NBC), “30 Days” (FX), “Parental Control” (MTV) and many more. Through its distribution arm, ShineReveille International, Reveille distributes its extensive library of high-quality programming, along with a broad array of programming acquired from independent producers and U.S. networks, to more than 150 countries. Reveille is part of the Shine Group, one of the world’s foremost multinational entertainment and drama companies. The Shine Group also includes UK independent producers Kudos, Princess, Dragonfly and Shine TV.

Utah Spa, Weight Loss Fitness Ridge

Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to escape. That’s what I discovered this past weekend at Red Mountain Spa in Ivins.

Many local people think of the spa as a place reserved for visitors from out of town, but many of the amenities are available to Southern Utah residents.

One of those is the Quick Escape package ($79), which I tried out Saturday. It includes lunch at the Canyon Breeze restaurant and a 50-minute Swedish massage.

It works. I really felt as if I had left Southern Utah.

Since it had been 10 years since my last real massage, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I drove along Snow Canyon Parkway in the rain, listening to the relaxing tunes of Gomez. My first surprise was the size of the resort. I parked near the restaurant, figuring the spa would be close by. After wandering in the rain for a few minutes I couldn’t find it.

Luckily, a nice employee in a golf cart, John, offered me a ride to the rounded building that houses the Sagestone Spa.

Stepping inside Sagestone Spa is like stepping outside of Southern Utah. Sure you can still see the Red Mountain outside the windows but it’s definitely a more cosmopolitan atmosphere than is often found in the region.

I changed into a thick, heavy robe in the locker room walked out to meet my massage therapist, Katrina. Soon I was lying facedown on a heated massage table as the escape began.

I carry a lot of stress in my neck and upper back so Katrina concentrated on that area as she began to work her magic.

Long, flowing strokes are characteristic of Swedish massage, which is a more traditional massage style. As I relaxed, her hands became waves of therapeutic strength, washing over my tense muscles and gently lulling them into submission.

Although I didn’t fall asleep, I entered into a near dreamlike state, allowing all my thoughts to be carried away with each stroke.

I barely remember Katrina asking me to turn over as she placed a towel behind my neck and a warm cloth over my eyes. During the last half of the massage I discovered places I didn’t even realize were tense.

Even though 50 minutes sounded like a long time at first, the massage was over too soon. I easily could have gone for another hour. Who couldn’t?

As she finished, Katrina told me to make sure I drank a lot of water so I didn’t get too sore.

After changing out of the robe I met John again and he gave me a ride over to the restaurant. He told me the restaurant features a revolving menu to liven things up for the guests.

At Canyon Breeze I met Tracey Welsh, the spa’s general manager and director of operations, and Tami Prine, the marketing communication manager. We went through a buffet filled with an eclectic mix of healthy choices and found our table.

As the music of Norah Jones played in the background we talked of the spa and Southern Utah in general. Tracey agreed with Katrina that many locals get the feeling that the spa is only for out-of-towners. However, the Quick Escape package is targeted specifically for locals like me who want to get away for a few hours for a relaxing massage and a tasty lunch.

The lunch was tasty. For many there is a myth that healthy food doesn’t taste good. But some of the best meals I’ve eaten are healthy ones. You just have to have some culinary talent in the kitchen, and apparently Red Mountain Spa has that.

For lunch I loaded up my plate with a variety of fresh items from the salad bar, including a new novelty for me: roasted soy nuts. Items like this provide a safe alternative for people with certain allergies.

I also noticed while dishing up my food that many of the dishes were marked as appropriate for spa guests undergoing a “cleanse.”

The flavorful roasted veggies were my favorite part of the lunch. However, I also enjoyed the warm chicken and vegetable soup, which was perfect for the cool, rainy day.

I was reluctant to leave the calming atmosphere of Red Mountain Spa after lunch but my quick escape was over. It was time to leave my two-hour vacation and return home.

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Desert Oasis: Utah spas serves up scenery, hiking and relaxing treatments

It’s the red that really gets you, as in the red rock mountains and canyons and formations of the Mojave Desert landscape.

The setting of the Red Mountain Spa in St. George, Utah, about a two-hour drive through the desert from Las Vegas, is simply spectacular.

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New arrivals at the spa may find themselves standing with their jaws open as they take in the red mountains reaching into blue sky.

Some of the surrounding terrain may look familiar. Many a Western movie was filmed in these parts – the spa is adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park, where they shot the final scenes of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

Given the scenery, it is not surprising that Red Mountain, as a destination spa, is known foremost for its comprehensive hiking program, which includes daily hikes at three experience levels – from beginner to advanced – to explore the red limestone rocks and spires, lava flows, caves and desert flora of Snow Canyon.

There are also excursions to hike or mountain bike to see the amazing towering cliffs of Zion National Park and the stunning sandstone pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park – both parks are located within an hour’s drive of the spa.

In fact, Red Mountain began in 1983 as a few rustic huts designed for hikers who wanted to tackle the desert landscape. It expanded in 1999 into a destination spa and more recently in 2006 into a fancier destination spa combining outdoor adventure and luxury pampering – with the addition of a gorgeous facility, Sagestone, located in a striking three-story geodesic dome.

The property adopted the slogan, “Find yourself between a Rock and a Soft Place,” which is just about right. You can hike and bike and do other outdoor adventure activities such as horseback riding in Snow Canyon, kayaking and rock climbing. Or you can choose to spend your time relaxing your mind, body and spirit at the 55-acre resort.

The Native American Card Reading ($150) caught my eye on the extensive menu of daily activities. And so I found myself in a small room outfitted with feathers and other American Indian tokens.

The blonde and brassy reader started our session by lighting pungent Cedarwood and performing a short ceremony where she brushed me with an eagle feather to rid me of bad spirits. She drummed and chanted – she said she learned all this from American Indians.

Once the cards came out she urged me to hush so she could “intuit.” Her reading included my love life, and even if she seemed to offer more talk about my inner spirit than practical advise, the session was at least entertaining.

But I preferred my second American Indian-inspired choice: The Four Directions Body Treatment, delivered again by a tall blonde woman, this time at the Sagestone spa.

The treatment (75 minutes for $160) embraces the four directions of the Medicine Wheel, and began with a “smudging,” again with a feather, to get rid of my negative energy. Then I was rubbed with cornmeal and tobacco for exfoliating, rinsed in a shower, had a full body massage using Cedarwood oil and a sweetgrass herbal wrap “to bring peace and good spirits to the healing.”

I reflected on little of this as I relaxed post treatment, pleasingly empty minded on a chaise lounge, staring at the breathtaking red scenery through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the spa’s relaxation room.

The Sagestone spa’s menu of more than 50 beauty and relaxation treatments also has offerings inspired by Asia and India. Separate men’s and women’s locker facilities are outfitted with steam rooms.

Fitness seekers at Red Mountain Spa will find a menu of more than 50 complimentary classes weekly, including such fun offerings as Blast from the Past, a retro aerobics class modeled on the Jane Fonda era. There are aqua classes including Off the Deep End, an invigorating deep-water workout. And there are strength classes, a variety of yoga classes and Power Pilates.

In Kundalini Yoga, I tried “to find the primordial energy at the base of the spine.” And I learned to breathe and chant “Raa Maa Daa Saa,” which means “Sun, Moon, Earth, Infinity.” It was relaxing if not involving much effort.

The spa also offers a selection of healthy living sessions – for $70, for instance, you can visit with a Motivation Coach to get you started on a fitness path.

In addition to the adventure-oriented outdoor program there are cerebral offerings such as geology and archeology walks, stargazing and Tai Chi on the Rocks, staged at sunset at Snow Canyon and accompanied by American Indian music.

“Successful Meditation” is among the enrichment lectures offered after dinner. For me, Texas Hold’em poker one night (for gifts, not money) was more exciting.

Desert-style Luxury (optional sidebar)

Red Mountain Spa accommodates up to 210 guests in 82 guestrooms and 24 new luxury villas, all done up in earthtones and contemporary furnishings with big bathrooms.

The resort boasts indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center where the classes and health consultations are held, a training center with Cybex strength equipment, cardio machines and free weights, and the Canyon Breeze Restaurant and Canyon Cafe for meals and culinary classes.

All this is located in a series of small terra cotta-colored buildings connected by paths and lava bed gardens with indigenous plants. You may see a rabbit cross your path. Newbies will need a map to get around.

Food at Red Mountain Spa is simply fantastic. Chef Chad Luethje, who was raised by vegetarian parents and has cooked twice at the James Beard House in New York, has developed Adventure Cuisine menus that include herbs from the resort’s organic gardens and wild game. It is healthy food with a Southwest slant, though you would never know it. The dishes range from hearty offerings like beef tenderloin with sweet potato pancake to Green Cuisine like roasted Japanese eggplant filled with squash and garbanzo beans. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style and include hot and cold selections. Dinner is sit-down with a full menu and accompanying salad bar.

Single travelers can sit at a communal table in the dining room. Couples, of which there are many at this spa, will have no problem finding a table for two.

No roughing it at this spa.

IF YOU GO

The daily rate at Red Mountain Spa is $259 to $709 per person, per night and includes all meals, bike rental, in-room Internet, morning hikes, a full menu of fitness classes and healthy living lectures. Treatments at the spa are all a la carte, as are adventure activities, though some are included in package specials. For reservations, call 877-246-HIKE and mention Spavelous

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At Red Mountain Spa in Utah, guests exercise their options

As soon as I said I was going to Red Mountain Spa, I regretted it.

“A spa? You’re going to a spa?” the brusque U.S. customs agent in YVR’s preclearance area exclaimed in a thick drawl. “You’re too young to be going to a spa! So you’re going to be pampered?”

I would’ve smacked him, but my plane was waiting.

Although Utah’s Red Mountain Spa does have spa services, what attracted me was its extensive program of physical activities: hiking, Pilates, yoga, aerobics, meditation, dance, horseback riding, mountain biking, kayaking, and rock climbing.

I’d been looking for somewhere I could practise tai chi. While trolling the Internet, I stumbled across RMS. Most of the other options were either too new-age-flaky or astronomically expensive. With a seasonal-discount package and the high Canadian dollar, however, a four-day getaway at RMS became affordable.

After a turbulent connecting flight from Salt Lake City to St. George, I arrived in the dark of night at the resort, which is located on the desert outskirts of Ivins. The grounds cover 22 hectares at the edge of Snow Canyon State Park, and the facilities consist of a small cluster of terra-cotta-coloured cubelike villas and two-storey buildings that blend into the landscape.

My room was handsomely styled in trendy minimalist décor with an ivory and brown colour scheme. But what greeted me in the morning was far more stunning: a speckless blue sky resting upon Conté-crayon-red mountains.

The spa boasts an exhaustive smorgasbord of activities scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The days, accordingly, became a nonstop blur; the challenge was squeezing everything I wanted to do into my schedule.

The Active Yoga class was the most demanding yoga class I’d ever taken—there weren’t any breaks between poses, and the pace was intense. (One participant gave up early on and left.) My enjoyment of the challenging Balletone class surprised me. The exercises, based on ballet, made me aware of muscles in my legs and rear I hadn’t felt before. The Chi Ball class had some of the most effective tension-releasing stretches, using balls and props, that I’d ever tried.

Although gratifying, the tai chi class consisted mostly of qi gong exercises, and the tai chi sequence was an abbreviated version I’d never seen before. When the instructor explained tai chi in terms of prana, it became apparent that cultural authenticity isn’t the resort’s strong point. Similarly, a traditional Native American spiral walk along a path marked by stones was described by the group leader in terms of yin and yang. Who knew Native American traditions were rooted in Chinese philosophy?

There were also a number of new age and alternative-health classes and lectures—iridology, crystal healing, and card reading.

Daily morning hikes through surrounding hills and trails invigorated me, but the real highlight was a day trip to Zion National Park. The park is almost 100 years old and covers about 600 square kilometres. My cardio training allowed me to maintain a brisk pace up the steep trails, but then our guide volunteered me to go along on the optional hike to Angels Landing, at the top of Zion Canyon.

Gorgeous views of the strata-striped sandstone cliffs were plentiful, but the acrophobia-inducing climb required focus rather than allowing any sightseeing. We travelled along narrow ridges with sloping drop-offs and widely spaced footholds—it was part rock climbing.

Our guide later informed us that someone had fallen and died the previous summer. Criminy.

Although Outside magazine gave RMS a four out of four “he-man” rating in 2004, I saw only three other male guests, all with their female partners; I was the only single guy. It’s a haven for women travelling alone. I met numerous married women, a divorced author, a New Yawk psychotherapist, and several Canadians. Since I sometimes feel like a middle-aged woman trapped in a gay man’s body (hot flashes included), I didn’t have a problem with that, save the occasional references (“Ladies and the gentleman…”).

A thoughtful touch is the community table, which seats up to 10 people and helps single guests meet others. Meals, included in packages, consist of health-conscious buffets for breakfast and lunch (fruits, salads, grains, beans, meats, and more), and delectable gourmet entrées ordered à la carte, including fish and game (the elk was tasty), for dinner.

And yes, I did get some pampering at the resort’s Sagestone Spa, housed in a bubblelike dome. The Desert Rain Massage—conducted by a masseur under warm water streaming down from a network of shower heads—was novel, yet somewhat messy with all the splashing water and wet towels.

Quite frankly, with my body aching from all the exercise, I had no qualms about being pampered.

Access: Package accommodations begin at US$369.55 per person per night, but check for on-line booking discounts, and seasonal discounts or packages that include resort credits or discounted spa services. Visit www.redmountainspa.com/ for full details.

Package prices include meals, fitness classes, and morning hikes. Special activities, lectures, workshops, spa treatments, and gratuities cost extra.

The best times to go are spring and fall, when average highs reach the mid 30s. Highs in summer rise into the 40s.

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Finding Inspiration Red Mountain Spa, St. George, UT

There are those lucky few, who know their passion from the day they are born. It seems to be almost hard-wired; they are drawn to betterment throughout their life. However, it seems that most of us meander through life searching for something to light the fire within us, to lead us to our successes and happiness in life. Many find that gift, while at Red Mountain Spa.

Red Mountain Spa’s hiking program ignites such inspiration for many people as they embark on their day’s adventures. The connection to the earth, and the power of the towering red rocks, leaves a person who has lived their life surrounded by skyscrapers, mesmerized. Taking the challenge to hike up a steep hill and climb over a rock formation allows one to realize the capabilities of a healthy body. Suddenly a person is inspired to be healthier and seek new adventures. Rewarding the body afterward, with healthy cuisine, reminds us of how important it is to give the body the nourishment it deserves. Taking time out to relax and reflect overlooking the red rock cliffs outside Sage stone Spa and Salon gives one the time to collect their thoughts, and be inspired to experience even more the next day.

Red Mountain Spa hopes that you are inspired to find better health, happiness and many adventures each day of your life.

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