Friday Fitness Tip on the Fly - Hotel Gym

I'm going to try to reserve a weekly post on Fridays relating to fitness while traveling.  We all know the value of dieting and fitness as, any reputable doctor would tell you, they are the two things you can personally control to be healthy and thus extend your life.  Yes, genetics does have a lot to do with it, but you didn't choose your lineage, and you can choose how often you hit the gym and your protein and vegetable intake.

Today's Friday Fitness Tip on the Fly will focus on selecting lodging that can keep you accountable on your fitness goals.  Staying active while traveling is challenging even for the hardcore gym rat and fitness enthusiast.  You're away from the gym that you frequent every morning, and you'll be eating out with plenty of cheater meals.  So how do you stay on track?

I have found that while on the fly, the lodging facilities and location play a large role in where you go and ultimately, what you eat.  Let's face it: if your hotel is 10 or even 5 miles away from the gym, you're not going.  And I know that many hotels offer fitness centers that barely live up to their names with an old treadmill, elliptical, and free weights that go up to 15 lbs.  But what if your hotel was right next to the gym or if your hotel offered a legit fitness center?  You're now out of excuses, which is a good thing.

Many hotels will only offer a snapshot (if any) of their fitness center on their website.  That's when I turn to Tripadvisor and check the 3rd party photos to see if the fitness center is suitable for my needs.  Even better, some hotel chains, such as IHG's EVEN hotels, place a heavy emphasis on fitness and healthy eats with legit gyms, in-room equipment, free fitness classes, and all-natural foods.  IHG is EVEN offering a double points promo through October 31 for stays at EVEN hotels only.

EVEN Hotel in Eugene, OR: how about spin class in your own hotel room?

Since EVEN currently only has 12 hotels in their portfolio, it's not always feasible to book with them.  Most of the larger upscale and luxury hotel brands will have suitable gyms, such as Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and InterContinental.  Even if their gyms don't have free weights that are heavy enough for my workouts, I like the convenience of having a gym downstairs or even in the penthouse, which is the case for the Tokyo Park Hyatt.  It really eliminates any excuse you'll ever have, and these gyms are usually well stocked with towels and water bottles.  My personal favorite is the Hyatt Regency in Osaka, which has a 19,378-square-foot health and fitness center including an exercise gym, aerobics studio, heated indoor lap pool, spa facilities, relaxation lounge and outdoor pool.  The exercise room has a power rack and battle ropes.  So nope, I couldn't skip leg day, not even on vacation.

Yes, I was the loudest guy in the Osaka Hyatt Regency screaming while pounding these battle ropes

All in all, it'll still be down to you to generate the will power to hit the gym and put in the work while you're there.  But having the convenience of a gym nearby or a hotel with a state-of-the-art gym facility definitely helps in that decision while killing your excuses.  What's your favorite hotel gym?