FitSugar

Would You Pay For an Allergy-Free Hotel Room?

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:00:24 -0800

Since I have allergies, traveling away from my trigger-free home can be frustrating and uncomfortable. Not only do I have to deal with cats on the plane, but new locations mean new plant pollens, dust, and mold. So what's an allergy-suffering girl to do?

Some hotels, including Marriott, are offering allergy-free hotel rooms, using a system called Pure Room. Visitors can opt for specially treated rooms with bedding, carpets, and AC systems free from contaminants. The rooms come with air purifiers to make breathing easier, and the mattresses and pillows are encased in covers to fend off dust mites. Also, the carpets and upholstery are treated with ozone shock treatment to kill mold and bacteria.

Since it's estimated that one third of people who stay in a hotel end up having an allergic reaction, this is a brilliant and much-needed improvement. The Pure Room isn't available at all Marriott Hotels, but you can call ahead to find out. Each room is only about $20 more a night, so tell me, would you pay more for an allergy-free room?

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The 10 Best Hotel Gyms of 2007

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:00:00 -0800

Whether or not a hotel you'll be staying at has a good gym is pretty much a crap shoot. A "well-equipped gym" could end up being mismatched hand weights with a treadmill from '89. Lucky for us the AthleticMindedTraveler has searched over 3,500 hotels across the United States to find the top ten with the best gyms.

So without further ado, here's the list:

Houstonian (Houston)
Renaissance ClubSport (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
Park Hyatt at the Bellevue (Philadelphia)
Four Seasons (San Francisco)
Embassy Suites Lakefront (Chicago)
Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine (La Jolla, Calif.)
Westin Atlanta Perimeter North (Atlanta)
Grand Hotel (Minneapolis)
Broadmoor (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Venetian (Las Vegas)

Have any of you been lucky enough to stay at any of these hotels? If you used the gym, tell me about it in the comments section below.

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Fit Traveler: Hilton Garden Inn's Stay Fit Kit

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Staying fit while traveling is important in keeping up your routine and staying with your exercise momentum. Luckily some hotels are making it easier than ever to workout while on the road.

The Hilton Garden Inn has created the Stay Fit Kit, which allows you to workout in the privacy of your guest room or in the fitness center. It offers an isometric and core body workout by accommodating three (3) areas of training: Yoga, Pilates, and Core. This kit includes: a Pilates band, a Yoga mat, strap and bricks, an 8 lb abs ball, 3 lb hand weights and a resistance rope.

The Stay Fit Kits are currently available for complimentary check-out at the front desk at every Hilton Garden Inn. Each Stay Fit Kit includes instruction cards that detail exercises for each piece of equipment. However, if you're not into self instruction, there is also in-room 25-30 minute fitness programming (available for purchase) to go along with the kit.

No more excuses, working out is truly getting easier than ever, anywhere.

Best Hotel Gyms

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:02:29 -0800

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, read more

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.

Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:00:00 -0800

Bedbugs are just plain gross. They haven't been a big issue since WWII until now.

It's being reported that bedbugs are making a comeback across Manhattan. Why are they back? Some theories claim that the recent rise in world travel is bringing the bedbug back. Bedbugs aren't discriminatory in where the stay, so don't think the nice hotels are free of them.

Gross.

To check a hotel before staying there, go to the bed bug registry, which is an online site devoted to keeping track of known places infested with bed bugs (this includes apartments and hotels).

Fit's Tip: When staying at hotels anywhere, always use the suitcase stand provided in the room. Those little buggers can (and will) travel into your luggage especially if it is sitting on the floor or on the extra bed you're not using. Before snuggling in, check the bed for signs (they like to hide in little crevices) and before leaving, check your luggage. If you notice bites, contact the hotel's customer service and consider seeing a dermatologist.

Forget Your Gear? No Problem!

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:15:00 -0700

With all the commotion that goes into packing, it happens (a lot) that we leave even our most prized of possessions behind. For me, leaving behind my workout gear would be catastrophic...

However, this is no longer an issue if you’re staying at a Fairmont Hotel. This awesome new benefit called Fairmont Fit, exclusive for President Club members, provides Adidas workout apparel and footwear delivered directly to guest rooms for use in-room, in the gym or elsewhere.

Members can request their specific clothing sizes at time of reservation or they can simply call guest service to request their fitness gear, which are delivered directly to their guest room. Guests can use the workout gear until they check out, or call to replenish apparel at any time during their stay to return the used ones and get a fresh pair of duds.

How cool is that?

Fit Travel Tip: Inquire About Fit Amenities at Your Hotel

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I recently took a trip out to Lake Tahoe and stayed at the Hyatt Regency there. I've always been a fan of Hyatt hotels because they tend to have great gyms and fitness programs for their guests. With its new StayFit program, most Hyatt gyms are open 24 hours a day so you can work out whenever you want. Now, the Hyatt is also offering some pretty sweet in-room fitness amenities.

Since we were traveling with the girls, we booked a suite because for the space factor. When we arrived to our room, I was delighted not only by the super-spacious room, but also the stationary bike inside it! Sometimes it is nice to escape to the gym, but I often have trouble fitting it in. With a stationary bike in my room, I had no excuse not to exercise. Later I asked the front desk what to do in the future if I wanted a room with a bike, and they said to ask if there are any available.

The whole experience made me think that it pays to be proactive when it comes to your fitness needs, especially when traveling. If I had not lucked out, I would have never even known that having exercise equipment in your room was an option. My guess is that most hotels offer many more fitness and health amenities than meets the eye, you just need to ask the front desk or concierge so you can take full advantage and stay fit while on vacation.

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Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:11 -0700

Four ways to cook up your Summer squash - Health
Train for a race and plan wisely with these tips - Shape
Weigh in on women's boxing - Social Workout
Fiber One's 50 calorie yogurts are tasty and filling - Daily Spark
Beyonce does stair workouts to tone her booty - FitCeleb
Fatty foods could be dulling your memory - That's Fit
Move over kettlebells, it's clubbell time - Vital Juice
Fitness friendly hotels in the big apple - Fresh Fitness Tips
Here's how to pack for a fit vacay - Fit Bottomed Girls

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Kara Goucher: Heartbroken but Happy and Ready For 2012

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

I had the pleasure of speaking with marathoner Kara Goucher, 30, yesterday, and she is one sweet runner. Kara placed third in the Boston Marathon on Monday, coming in just nine seconds behind the winner. Her frustration was visible as she crossed the finish line. When I asked her which part of her body hurt most the day after the marathon, Kara said, "Honestly, still my heart just hurts the most."

Although heartbroken, Kara explained that her body didn't feel that beat up from the race - explaining that this race was like an easy 20 miles followed by a really hard 10k - so just her hip flexors felt tight from the running downhill. Her disappointment with not winning combined with a lack of aches and pains led her to consider running the London Marathon next week. She wanted to put the tactical lessons learned in Boston to work immediately, but ultimately decided racing a marathon again that soon wouldn't help with her long-range goal: competing in the 2012 London Olympic marathon to win.

To learn Kara's favorite Pilates exercise, the last movie she saw in a theater, and what she did after finishing the marathon, read more.

Kara switched coaches about three years ago and began working with former marathon star Alberto Salazar, and with this change came regular cross training. Salazar, who also coaches her husband Adam Goucher, wanted the running couple to become better all-around athletes, and to do so, Kara started Pilates. Although she hates them while doing them, Kara loves the ab series of Pilates, including the 100s, as well as the back stretch saw off your toe. Her favorite core exercises: "I like plank and lunges. In the plank position lifting up one leg is good core work. I like basic stuff that you could do anywhere: in a hotel room, at the gym, on the sidewalk if you needed to."

After running the Boston marathon, Kara went out to dinner with a group of family and friends. Although the party drank many bottles of wine, they are waiting to pop the champagne cork when either she or Adam wins. She admitted that it was nice to "act like normal people" for the evening, not having to worry if the food might upset her stomach and interfere with running or if she should be getting to bed. Speaking of "normal," I also asked Kara the last movie she saw in a theater. "I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button around New Year's, but I have no idea of what I saw before that," she told me.

Kara is one busy runner. She trains hard, loves racing, and won't be giving up track events anytime soon. She and her husband have both publicly stated that they would like to start a family - just think how fast those little Gouchers could be. I for one am looking forward to seeing Kara run in London, be it next week or in three years!

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Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Almost wiped out after World War II, bed bugs are back with a vengeance. Recent bed bug infestations have been reported in a wide variety of locales, from college dormitories to hospital wings, homeless shelters to swanky hotels in the big apple and the windy city. The resurgence of these little brown bugs has become so problematic in parts of the nation that the Environmental Protection Agency held a two-day summit on the issue.

While bed bugs do not transmit diseases, their bites often cause discomfort from swelling and itching. Creepier still: bedbugs excrete a numbing agent in order to not wake their slumbering victims. The small bugs, about a quarter of an inch in length, live in sheet folds, couch crevices, and mattresses.

The resurgence of these little buggers is international and the problem is worse in densely populated areas. One reason for the rise is that there are few pesticides approved for use on mattresses that kill bedbugs. Since the approval process of pesticides is lengthy, the EPA is considering approving some pesticides for emergency use. There is also a push to study the effectiveness of alternative removal solutions, like heating, freezing, or steaming to remove the bedbugs. Have you dealt with bedbugs? Are you itchy after reading this? I know I am!

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