FitSugar

Fitness on the Go: US Hotel Chains With the Best Gyms

Heather Dale — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:46:31 PDT

Whenever you travel, do you care how posh the fitness center in your hotel is? I tend to believe that if I pay a bit extra for a certain hotel, I expect a decent gym to be included in that price. Unfortunately, a nice clean gym in one hotel- fully stocked with all the treadmills, ellipticals, and rowing machines your heart could ever desire - isn't the same as another hotel from the same group in another city. You definitely need to do your homework before assuming you'll get the same amenities across the board.

What is cool though, is that hotel chains are realizing that being able to exercise in a well-equipped fitness center is very important to their guests, which is why hotels like the Westin are making it easier for customers to workout during their stay. Westin Hotels & Resorts has teamed up with New Balance to launch a complimentary gear loan program at 10 Westin properties, where guests have access to New Balance shoes, apparel, and accessories. How cool is that?

Now, to see my pick for US hotel chains that have the best gyms, keep reading.

What's Your Gym's Biggest Shortcoming?

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:00:38 PST

The end of the year is a good time to reevaluate and renegotiate your gym membership to ensure you are getting what you need at the best rate. If you workout at the gym regularly, it's crucial you are comfortable, and it is meeting your needs, otherwise you'll have just another excuse not to show up and sweat it out. How does your gym stack up?

Come See Why the David Barton Gym Is Different

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:00:30 PDT

While New Yorkers may consider the David Barton Gym old hat, these uber-hip fitness centers are still unknown to many. But with a nationwide expansion underway - besides New York, there are gyms in Chicago, Miami, Seattle, and one slated for Los Angeles, the David Barton Gym is set to become as well known as Equinox. One thing is certain, I can't think of anything in the fitness world that is quite like it.

Step into a David Barton Gym and be prepared for visual overload. You'll be surrounded by vibrant colors, disco lights, and rooms that seem more at home in Architectural Digest than Women's Health.

What do you think - all hype or all health? Take a look at the pics and cast your vote at the end.

What Is the Best Gym of 2007?

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:45:00 PST

Since I'm still polling you guys about the best things of 2007, I'm curious - what gym/health club do you think is the best of 2007?

Class Act: Punk Rope

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:30:00 PDT

I am always looking for ways to keep exercising interesting and it's not always been too easy but with the explosion of group classes, there are so many options.

My latest favorite is Punk Rope, a cross between third grade recess (double dutch y'all) and boot camp. Punk Rope combines conditioning drills, rope jumping and core and flexibility training for a very creative, effective, edgy workout. Been years since you picked up a jump rope? No worries, since rope jumping experience is not necessary for this class. Jump ropes are provided so that means one less thing to carry in your gym bag. Pig tails optional.

Right now Punk Rope is available at Healthworks, Boston's own group of women-only fitness centers. Don't live in the Boston area? Check your local gym for similar jump rope combo classes.

Kosher Gyms: A Trend to Watch

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:00:00 PST

The world's growing fixation on fitness will no longer stop at religion.

Kosher Gym in Jerusalem's Givat Shaul neighborhood, is a place for tzniut (modesty) and fitness. The gym's motto: At Kosher gym, we don't only cater to the fitness of your body - we worry about the well-being of your soul too. While Judaism opposes body worship, modern ideas about health and physique have left that idea a bit lost in translation (so to speak). The Kosher Gym is unlike your average gym in that it offers separate hours for men and women. There are no televisions, no magazines and the music played at the gym has no lyrics. Often times people will say Psalms as they workout, all this aside, the equipment is just as high-tech as any other gym and there are some great classes offered.

The best part? Almost everyone is there for one reason: Health. People are not there to look hot in their bathing suit or to look like the a-lister on the covers of the latest magazines, which is the number one motive among the people you would find at gyms here in the U.S. It is a bit refreshing and pleasing to see more specialty gyms opening allowing a greater number of people to attain health without centering on aesthetics.

There is a similar gym, coincidentally called Kosher Gym in Brooklyn, NY if you're interested in checking it out.

Life Time Fitness: The New Wonder Gym

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 08:30:00 PST

Looking for a one stop health and fitness experience near you?

Then you should try out Life Time Fitness. Life Time Fitness offers you a complete health and fitness experience, all in one really big location. Also, they are nationwide and most memberships allow access to most clubs.

Some cool features of Lifetime Fitness includes the latest cardiovascular and weight machines, indoor/outdoor water parks with waterslides, sport courts and rock climbing caverns, unique classes, Child Centers for kids ages 3 mos to 11 yrs, 24-hour access and more.

What's more? Select locations have a LifeSpa on the premises, which is a full-service, Aveda-concept spa and salon. Talk about killing two birds (even three or four) with one stone. Individual memberships generally start at $49/month and expect a one time low enrollment fee. To get more information on locations and memberships, check out the Life Time Fitness website.

Consider This When Joining a Gym

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 03:00:00 PST

Thinking about taking the plunge and joining a gym? Before you start shopping for a gym, be sure to consider these tips from CBC News.

Cooling off period: You may have up to 10 days to change your mind after signing a contract to join a fitness club.
Lifetime Membership: Are they trying to talk you into a lifetime membership? That is a bad sign they are fishing for members.
Monthly dues: Do you have the option to pay your fees monthly? Or is it all up front?
Location: If it's close to your home or job, you will be more likely to go.
Facilities: If you want to swim and there's no pool, you'll be wasting your money.
Programs: Does the centre offer fitness classes as well as weight and cardio machines?
Equipment: Are the machines clean, modern and in good working order?
Maintenance: Is the facility clean? Is there enough space between machines?
Track record: Has the club been in business for a long time?

Best Hotel Gyms

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:02:29 PST

A lot of us are (and have been) traveling this holiday season but the fact is that many of us travel a lot period, not just during the holidays. If you're constantly on the road, maybe your resolution was to work out when traveling.

Athletic-Minded Traveler has put over 3,000 hotels nationwide to the test and come up with a list of The Best Hotel Gyms in the U.S. The selection criteria included facility size, equipment quantities, multi-sport options (e.g., lap pool, sport court, etc.) and overall ambiance. To be considered as a hotel gym, the facility must be located on hotel property or within an adjacent building.

To see the list,

Houstonian (Houston, TX)
Park Hyatt at the Bellevue (Philadelphia, PA)
Four Seasons (San Francisco, CA) Pictured above.
Embassy Suites Lakefront (Chicago, IL)
Venetian (Las Vegas, NV)
Bellevue Club (Bellevue, WA)
Inn at Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)
Grand Hotel (Minneapolis, Minn)
JW Marriott Grande Lakes (Orlando, FL)
Ritz Carlton Boston Common (Boston, Mass)
Le Parker Meridien (NYC, NY)

To see the full list and details, visit the Athletic Minded Traveler's site.

IHRSA's Passport Program

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:30:00 PST

One thing that most of us do during the holidays is travel. It is almost inevitable and nice to have a tropical holiday or see family across the country. The problem starts when you stop your work out.

If you belong to a gym, be sure to check with them to see if it is part of the IHRSA's Passport Program. (The IHRSA is the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association.) Basically if your gym is a member of the program, when traveling at least 50 miles away from your home club, you will be allowed access to over 3,000 IHRSA member health clubs in more than 50 countries. Pretty cool right?

To find a club where you're traveling to that participates in the Passport Program, visit my post on Healthclubs.com. Oh, and be sure you ask a staff member at your home club for a valid Passport ID card (pictured above) or a Passport ID sticker for your membership card -- they forget to give them out.

Fit's Tip: You may still need to pay a guest fee when visiting another club but participating clubs are asked to lower their regular guest fee for Passport guests, and some clubs will waive guest fees entirely. Please call the club before visiting to ask about their policy.