Hotel Exercise Tips: How to Get Fit When You're Staying in a Hotel

If you have to be on the road much of the time traveling for your job or if you're taking an extended vacation, you'll want to be sure to schedule time for a daily workout. All of those continental breakfasts and richly prepared hotel foods can take their toll on your healthy eating routine, resulting in weight gain. If you need to work out and you're stuck exercising at the hotel, what are your options?

Hotel exercise tip: Prepare before you go.

Before booking your hotel reservation, call and ask about exercise facilities available on site. Be specific in your request for information. Sometimes the fitness room at a hotel will consist of a few archaic machines cramped into a small, hot space. Ask about hours of operation and if the fitness facilities are free of charge during your stay. While you're at it, ask about healthy eating options in the general area where you'll be staying.

Hotel exercise tip: Consider using the hotel pool.

When you call about the fitness facilities, be sure to ask if the hotel has an indoor or outdoor pool and what the hours are. If you'll be traveling in the winter months, an indoor pool can be an option for exercise and can offer a nice break from your land bound exercise routine. If the hotel gives you access to a pool, be sure to bring along a bathing suit and bathing cap to protect your hair.

Hotel exercise tip: Consider nearby alternatives.

Many hotels that don't have a fitness center have an arrangement with nearby exercise clubs to allow their guests to visit free of charge or for a reduced price. Bally's fitness clubs located in larger metropolitan areas throughout the United States sometimes allow local hotels to send their guests to their facilities. Even if this arrangement doesn't exist, you may still be able to use the club during your stay by paying a daily fee. Simply look up the phone numbers of local health clubs near your hotel and give them a call.

Hotel exercise tip: Bring along your own equipment.

If you won't have access to any type of fitness facility during your stay, bring along a jump rope and some resistance bands. These will fit neatly into your suitcase and will give you a good aerobic and strength training workout. Do a quick workout in your hotel room as soon as you awaken and you'll feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

Hotel exercise tip: Explore the area around your hotel.

When all else fails, put on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and take a brisk walk around the hotel where you're staying. This is a great way to get to know the shops and restaurants in the area. Plus, it can be stimulating to exercise in a new environment. Run up and down the stairs a few times when you get back to the hotel to burn even more calories.

Who says you have to have an exercise club at the hotel where you're staying? With a little imagination and ingenuity, you can get a stimulating workout even when you're traveling.