While popular culture argues that there are no real differences between men and women and you can even “change” gender by changing your mind, in reality, there are major differences between men and women. This doesn’t make one sex less than the other. It is simply a reality based on biology that we should accommodate and celebrate.
How Women’s Travel Differs from Men’s Travel
Women’s travel is somewhat different than men’s. Women are more likely to travel in groups for their literal safety. That’s why women tend to book group tours if they’re traveling solo. Yet women constitute the majority of travelers. Around two-thirds of American travelers are women.
Women are more likely to create long lists and pack well in advance, while men tend to pack at the last minute. On the other hand, men tend to pack less in general. Men’s travel choices more often include activities like trekking, cycling, sailing, and kayaking. Women are more likely to book local living and cultural experiences. But both men and women are likely to book nature trips such as spending a day hiking through the forest or going camping. Women are more likely to take trips to improve their overall health like Vacayou wellness vacations. They allow you to choose from wellness retreats to help you lose weight to spa getaways just to pamper yourself.
Men and women have very different ideas of what they think is the ideal destination. Women are much more likely to book a trip to Europe, especially to see cultural destinations like London and Paris. Men are more likely to book trips to South America for adventure. If it is a polar expedition or a cruise to Antarctica, it is overwhelmingly men.
Furthermore, women’s trips tend to be driven by their relationships. Two-thirds of women take trips to visit family and friends, whereas less than sixty percent of men’s trips do. Women are also more likely to travel with family and friends. One survey found that one in four women has taken a girls’ only trip at some point, and forty percent were planning to do so. Men are more likely to go solo without friends or family.
The ideal vacation length varies by gender, though it isn’t clear how much of this is based on the vacation gap. Men get more vacation days on average than women. More than forty percent of men get three weeks of vacation while thirty percent of women do. This may or may not explain why most women’s ideal vacation is 5-7 days, while the average man’s ideal vacation is two weeks. The end result is that women vacation more often than men but don’t stay as long. (Women average a vacation every 10 months, men, every 12 months.)
How Women’s Fitness Differs from Men’s Fitness
The male body naturally produces testosterone. This gives men a natural advantage when it comes to producing new muscle and getting into shape. That is aside from women’s bodies naturally adding a few more percent of body fat, contributing to women’s curves and men having a lower average body mass index. Estrogen actually fuels the growth of fat cells, too, though that doesn’t mean you can’t be fit. On the other hand, women’s shorter bones have less pronounced corners. This makes women more flexible than men. Women’s lower center of gravity makes it harder to do pullups. Women’s bone structure, especially in the hips, makes them more prone to knee injuries than men. That is separate from women’s greater risk of bone fractures later in age due to osteoporosis.
Women’s fitness routines often differ from men’s. Many women want to look healthy and fit, but they rarely want thick trapezius muscles. Few women want chiseled muscles anywhere else, either. The goal is to fit into skinny jeans, not have your thighs so large they stand out.
This is why women tend to dominate aerobic and Pilates classes but are far less likely to do strength training, though many women would benefit from it. More strength training will help you build muscle and thus increase your base metabolic level, and it can slow the deterioration that comes with age. Lift weights, and you’ll reduce the risk of osteoporosis fractures, too. But women are on average not as strong as men, so don’t expect to end up lifting 100-pound weights. Always work with a trainer who works within your body’s capabilities, regardless of what they are. And that’s true regardless of your sex, age, or health status.
How Does This Impact Women’s Wellness Vacations
Women can certainly book adventure vacations as well as men. But in general, they’re more likely to book a day hike in the woods with friends than go on a two-week trek with a guide through the mountains. Women are more likely to book a wellness vacation with friends, while guys might go with a partner or go it alone.
The sheer size of the female travel market means that resorts and travel agencies tend to cater to women. This can take the form of female-only resorts, female-dominated retreats, or a woman’s weekend at an otherwise co-ed resort. That is why you can find tons of trips advertised to groups of women but relatively few aimed at groups of men. You’d find more wellness vacations aimed at couples and single women than single men.
Wellness vacations are more likely to include low-impact workouts like walking, swimming, and yoga than hard physical activities. If you want to go rock climbing or hike 20 miles in a day, that would be classified as an adventure trek. No wellness retreat will stay in business if it doesn’t offer exercise classes that are well-suited to women versus men. Think yoga, calisthenics, and pilates over deadlifts and Ironman-type competitions.
The way women dominate the travel industry and the wellness sector, in general, takes other forms, too. Facilities know they have to cater to women, especially those with only a few days to make the most of it. Their solution is luxury suites, healthy gourmet meals, and authentic cultural activities as a break from your physical fitness or rehab activities. Budget wellness facilities are generally a step up from a cheap hostel because most women won’t stay in such a place.
We’ve mentioned that women are at greater risk than men. This is why safety and security become selling points for single and groups of female travelers. They may advertise the concierge who can hire a reputable cab as well as monitors those coming in and out of the hotel.
Due to women’s greater overall concern about health and their appearance, wellness resorts are more likely to cater to this. It may be a crash course on vegan living, a gentle weight loss program geared toward women or a diabetes living course that takes place in a comfortable facility. But it is rarely ever a boot-camp style regimen. The facility’s culture ensures that women are comfortable in other ways. Fat-shaming isn’t allowed, and unwanted sexual advances aren’t tolerated. That’s understandable when women makeup two-thirds of all travelers and often 75 to 80 percent of the visitors to wellness retreats.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
