Spring is in the air. Summer is tiptoeing round the corner. It’s a time to be limber, to loosen limbs, to stretch out and be sporty once again.

Whatever your exercise of choice — cycling, hiking, climbing, swimming, all-round toning up — however big or small your budget and wherever you want to go, there are fantastic fitness holidays to be had in 2009. Here’s the pick of the bunch.

All prices are per person unless stated

A jog round the south downs

The world's 21 best activity holidays

Make 2009 a refreshing one with our step-by-step guide to the best active breaks to kick-start the year

• The best events around the world in 2009

Summer hiking in the Alps

The best Alpine hiking for families, adrenalin junkies, spa lovers and golfers

• Step up for Europe’s top treks

Paragliding in the French Alps

Ginny McGrath takes to the skies by hot air balloon and paraglider - but which is the most fearsome?

• Paragliding on Tenerife

The world's 50 best walks

From a grade-one pub stroll to a grade-five yeti hunt

Related Links

• The world's 21 best activity holidays

• Summer hiking in the Alps

Whether you’re determined to make it to next year’s marathon or trying to transform yourself from plodder to pacer, a two-night course on the edge of the South Downs could be the legal performance-enhancer you need. With in-depth fitness assessments, guided runs along the coast and up the Downs, lectures on core strength and advice on nutrition and running shoes, personal bests will surely follow. They’ll even set you a training schedule and follow it up afterwards with online support.

Details: the Running Inn club (therunninginn.co.uk) has a weekend at the four-star Guesthouse East, in Eastbourne, from £300, including running and Pilates sessions, nutrition lectures and breakfast and lunch on both days. There’s a maximum of five runners per instructor. Courses run from April to September; ages 18+.

Gourmet family boot camp in France

Camp Biche, a luxury fitness retreat near Cahors, in southwest France, has won plaudits over the past few years for its combination of natural fitness training and gourmet cuisine. This year, it’s running retreats for families as well as individuals, with separate accommodation for children and grandparents/nannies. Kid-friendly activities include rock-climbing, swimming and riding. The rest of the Camp Biche menu — hikes through the countryside, yoga, weight training, daily massage, the celebrated Tableture du Chocolat abdomen workout and, of course, the gastronomic genius — remains the same.

Details: A week at Camp Biche (campbiche.com) starts at £3,115, including all accommodation, gourmet meals and activities, as well as six massages; children aged 5 and under go for £66 a day, those aged 6-15 for £133 per day. The retreat is five hours’ drive from Paris. With Eurotunnel (eurotunnel.com), returns for a car and passengers start at about £120. Or take Eurostar (eurostar.com) to Paris; returns from £59. The nearest SNCF stations are Montauban and Cahors — pick-ups are available from both.

Climb like Spider-man in Scotland

Bill Strachan has been teaching people how to climb in the Scottish mountains for years. On his one-day Introduction to Rock Climbing course, he’ll take you out onto some of the best crags around Inverness and pass on all the skills you’ll need to look after yourself as a seconding (supporting) climber, from basic rope work to moving on rock and abseiling down the crag face, Spidey-style. The carrot dangling at the end of the course is the chance to climb a local multi-pitch (multiple stops) classic — it’s like taking a spin round Brands Hatch.

Details: Scotch on the Rocks Guiding (0141 416 4066, scotchontherocksguiding.co.uk) offers the one-day rock-climbing course from £80, including equipment hire, with a maximum of two climbers per coach. Courses run from mid-April to late October; no experience needed, but a basic level of fitness is required.

Times recommends

• 10 of Rough Guides' best images
• How to do Florence for free
• The UK and Ireland's 25 best Christmas events