Why People Are Paying to Suffer on Vacation

The Trend: The paincation is a wellness trip where people pay to suffer. In place of spa days or sound bath retreats, these formative vacations might be bikepacking expeditions, humid jungle-based ultramarathons, 1,600-mile self-supported races, or boot-camps that send you hobbling home. People are dishing out some serious cash for this discomfort, and then dubbing it the best thing they’ve ever done.

What People Are Saying: Psychologist Terri Bacow is calling it high-stakes cognitive-behavioral therapy. Basically, if your brain is purely trying to survive, there’s no room to stress over life’s responsibilities. Fans claim to leave feeling mentally lighter. But skeptics note that voluntary suffering is still suffering, and that paincations are only accessible to people with the time and money to “choose” to struggle.

What to Know: There’s no research yet showing manufactured pain is more beneficial than a solid workout. But there is psychology behind this sense of accomplishment and an extended break from the constant stimulation of daily life. You don’t need a plane ticket to suffer though. Try a hard hike or a long training block you wouldn’t normally tackle to DIY a budget paincation.