You won't find Tahitian women on treadmills or cycles. To stay in shape, they dance their booties off. Tahitians dance the otea, a Beyonce-level hip-shaking dance in which the upper body is stationary while the hips move to the rapid beating of drums. Stateside, a hoola hoop workout, as juvenile as it might sound, provides the same isolating exercises that form those killer Tahitian abs.

Long before spa days became a thing, Tahitians were prescribing massage to detox the body and treat depression and tension. Known as taurumi, Tahitian massage focuses on releasing toxins by activating energy lines through the body. They also pay special attention to the nini, or top of head, which Tahitians believe is the entry point of the soul. In Tahiti, you won't find any half-hearted masseurs. Taurumi massage requires total devotion and is seen as a spiritual exchange between masseur and the person getting massaged.

If you can't make it out to the lagoon-front Le Spa at Le Taha'a or the overwater bungalows that house the Thalasso Spa at Intercontinental in Bora Bora, find a therapist that specializes in deep tissue massage. Instruct him or her to start at the head and work their way to the feet.

Monoi isn't the only oil Tahitian women keep in their arsenal. Tamanu oil is used for minor cuts, rashes, scarring, stretch marks and abrasions. Their ancestors believed that the branches of this sacred plant hid the gods, and that it was a gift to protect them from the harsh sun, strong winds and salt water.

Besides being endorsed by ancient Tahitians, tamanu oil (known as domba oil in Europe) was shown to have a 70 to 75 percent success rate in treating both rheumatism and scabies. Tamanu oil in pure form can be found in health food stores that carry essential oils, or as a skin-healing ingredient in products like Origins Plantscription Youth Renewing Face Oil and The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion.

Why rely on a store-bought body wash when you can get fresh, skin-softening coconut milk for free on the side of the road? At least, that's the Tahitian philosophy. Coconuts grow everywhere in Tahiti, so achieving silky-soft skin is as easy as plucking one from the tree in your backyard. Tahitians bathe their skin and hair in it before showering.

To try this beauty secret at home, soak 2.5 ounces of freshly grated coconut (the peak season is October through December) in a bowl of 1 1/2 cups of hot simmered water. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then pour the liquid through a strainer into a bowl. Squeeze the remaining coconut in a cheesecloth to get the rest of the liquid.