Nestled in northern Ventura County is the Oaks at Ojai. The venue has a serene, yet upbeat atmosphere for guests who are committed to fitness. The Oaks is located in the lively art community of Ojai where guests can get away from their busy lives and enjoy a myriad of activities the small town has to offer. The Ojai Valley sits in a unique East-West direction, allowing guests to fully experience the sunrise and sunset. The hillsides become electrified during sundown. The Oaks at Ojai is not only located in one of the most picturesque and beautiful towns in America, it is surrounded by 75 areas of the Los Padres National Forest. When guests step inside the spa, they immediately feel welcome. Sheila Cluff is the founder and has created a communal, familial, sharing and nurturing culture where staff and guests are approachable, social and share a like-mindedness. People are calling the Oaks an adult getaway where guests can inspire and be inspired to transform, re-energize, relax, and rejuvenate.
From the “father of Western medicine” to modern-day actress, these tenets could have been written by Sheila Cluff, founder of The Oaks at Ojai, the all-inclusive destination health spa she opened more than 35 years ago. Cluff says, “I advise my spa guests to throw away their scales. Measurements are more important than weight.”
She rejected the idea of subjecting guests to torturous deprivation. “I wanted neither a fat farm nor a beauty spa,” she writes, “but a place that focused on health and fitness, where people would come to enjoy themselves, not be ‘punished’ with exercise and awful diet food.” Sheila Cluff, internationally-known fitness expert and founder of the Oaks at Ojai health and fitness destination spa, is an inspiration because the 79-year-old mother of four and grandmother of seven, embodies the lifestyle she teaches.
There are three pillars of The Oaks’ program: nutrition, fitness, and wellness. The Fitness Program at the Oaks is one of the most varied in the Destination Spa Industry. The Oaks recommends a foundation of at least one cardio, strength, and flexibility activity per day, then layering more classes onto that foundation. Guests have 10 – 12 activities daily to choose from by way of Ojai strolls, walks, hikes, pool classes, or studio classes that include cardio, strength training, dance, yoga, pilates and classic stretch. Nancy Radding, Fitness Director, says, “Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes and our teachers and guests reflect that. The Oaks is a place for guests to come who are at an average level of fitness and want to gain or maintain that level. Our teachers offer tips on how to take what they’ve learned here with them to continue on at home.” Fitness theme weeks and weekends, often include stellar guest teachers and are offered year round where guests enjoy bonus classes and activities at no extra charge.
Wellness is one of the three pillars of the spa and the a-la-carte treatments compliment the nutritional and fitness components offered at the spa. While guests love pampering, they provide treatments to soothe sore muscles after a rigorous day of classes, detoxify, address insomnia or joint issues and offer to help guests achieve their goal of overall well-being.
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