Motivation in Movember

While there’s a lot of talk about “man caves,” Movember (a worldwide campaign raising funds and awareness for men’s cancers and other health issues) presents the men of the house a perfect opportunity to get out of the cave and have meaningful multigenerational discussions about health and wellbeing. The movement, which originated in Australia in 2004, involved the cultivation of moustaches (the “mo” in Australian English) over 30 days to “change the face of men’s health” by drawing funds and awareness for men’s cancers and suicide prevention.

Although there are not as many fundraising hotel and spa packages and promotions for Movember as there are for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), a great place to start planning a special weekend is at Movember’s U.S. website’s events calendar, listing fundraisers, races one can train for and other events from coast to coast. Those interested in taking an extended Movember journey, meanwhile, can consult Movember websites in other countries, including Australia, Ireland, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, and Taiwan.

Occasionally, the sites will list special promotions taking place at hotels and resorts. A few examples include an exhaustive docket of Movember Manathon activities staged by Fairmont The Palm in Dubai and the Catalonia Caribbean resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Mother and son meditating at resort © Elizaveta Galitskaya | Dreamstime.com

If you want to stay closer to home, why not put together a do-it-yourself Movember weekend at one of the many spas offering men’s packages? After all, the word “move” is in Movember, and several of the charity’s sites suggest dedicating the 30 days to fitness as an alternative to growing a mustache.

While pampering is on the menu, specialized men’s retreats combine hiking, hearty and healthy meals, nutrition guidance, bodywork and fitness classes. It’s a good way to go for the father or grandfather who not only wants to get on track with his fitness needs, but also take sons and other relatives up with him. And what better way to train if one or more members in a family decide to participate in one of the marathons.

The Miraval Life in Balance Spa at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California, and Miraval Arizona Resort in Tucson offer men’s spa services as well as various fitness programs to strengthen mind and body in the yoga studio, learn mindful eating habits, achieve new levels of fitness with a personal trainer and hiking, attend special programs with visiting guest experts and enjoy lunch in the Spa’s garden courtyard.

The Ranch at Live Oak in Malibu, California, offers both a week-long program at the Malibu ranch, or a shorter jump-start program hosted at a luxury hotel in nearby Westlake Village. The programs are designed to help guys attain physical endurance, shed unwanted pounds, tone up and detoxify in a healthy and sustainable way. More than 200 miles of hiking trails, an open-air kitchen and great room, certified organic farm, exercise and yoga pavilion, outdoor pool and Jacuzzi and private treatment rooms for massages further enhance the spectacular surroundings. To keep everybody in focus and further aid in a mental detoxification, the property maintains a sequestered environment with no cell and limited WiFi service.