Move it: 9 ways to stay fit when traveling

By Amy Bradley-Hole

Travel columnist

updated 1:07 p.m. ET Jan. 2, 2008

Amy Bradley-Hole Travel columnist • Profile • E-mail

I hope you enjoyed your holidays. Anyone who read my last column knows that I ate lots of treats in December. But I don't feel guilty at all, because in addition to loving food, I also love to work out. Whether you're a die-hard fitness fanatic like me, or a casual exerciser who just wants to feel good and stay healthy, it can be very hard to keep up with your fitness routine when you're trapped in a 10-foot-by-10-foot hotel room. No excuses! These days, there are plenty of ways to stay fit when you're staying at a hotel.

1. First, don't stress
You don't have to keep up with your entire fitness regimen when you travel. Even if you can manage only a third of your usual workout, you'll still keep yourself in reasonably good shape. So pull back a little while you're away. For example, if you do weight or resistance training, just concentrate on your large muscle groups, such as abdominals and quadriceps. Whatever you do, don't miss out on important experiences because you're too busy trying to cram in a workout.

2. Did you know that every hotel has a free fitness center?
It's called the hallway. If you can't do anything else, you can always walk or run up and down that hallway as many times as you like. Sure, other guests might stare, but who cares? They're just checking out your tight tush. You can also run stairs in the stairwells, but first ask a staff member whether the stairwell door will lock behind you. If it does, you'll have to finish on the ground floor and catch the elevator back up when you're done.

3. Walking is better if you take it outside.
Ask at the front desk if the hotel is in a safe location, and if there are plenty of sidewalks nearby. If so, get out and take a stroll. There's no better way to see a new destination than on foot. A staff member can suggest routes that will take you past neat shops, into funky neighborhoods or through parks — whatever your interests. Some hotels even provide maps of walking and jogging routes complete with mileage markings.

4. Knowledge is power.
If you already attend fitness classes, it's often easy to be your own instructor in your hotel room. Whether you do Pilates, yoga or aerobics, chances are you know the routine so well you could practically teach the class yourself. And you probably know how to do crunches, pushups, squats and tricep dips. These types of exercises can be done in your room just as easily as in the gym. It may be a little less motivating when you're the only one around and you don't hear thumping music or clanging weights, but if you push yourself, your in-room do-it-yourself workout can be very effective.

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5. Visit the fitness center.
More and more hotels these days offer a fitness center. In the past, hotel fitness centers were pretty horrible. I've seen way too many basement rooms with leaky ceilings, filthy equipment and no staff, and when hotels have the nerve to charge for the use of these "gyms," it really ticks me off. But plenty of properties offer facilities that rival fancy gyms. Some Hilton hotels in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany and a few other locations feature full-service LivingWell health clubs. Similarly, Westin has developed the WestinWORKOUT concept in conjunction with Reebok, offering sleek gyms and other fitness services in most of its hotels worldwide.

Smaller hotels usually don't have space for a grand gym, but they often have a partnership with a nearby fitness facility. Ask at the front desk if your hotel offers guest passes to a gym. And here's a tip: If the hotel charges you for this pass, don't pay for it without first going to the gym yourself. Chances are the hotel has raised the price on a guest pass that might be much cheaper, or even free, if you get it directly from that gym.

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