Workouts on the Road

I travel three days a week for business. I need to get in shape, but I find it difficult when I'm on the road. Do you have any suggestions for me?

You're not alone. Many business travelers struggle to keep up their fitness routines on the road.

In an effort to respond to that need, Crunch Fitness in Atlanta has partnered with three area hotels; hotel guests now receive free passes to the club. And some Hilton hotels have "Health-Fit Rooms" equipped with exercise equipment, tapes, walking/running maps and instructions for a 20-minute in-room workout.

Although most hotels don't furnish their guest rooms with exercise equipment, quite a few do have some sort of fitness facility. Unfortunately, many of these workout rooms are equipped with outdated or even unsafe equipment. Be sure to ask the gym attendant the age of the equipment, and use the newest pieces. If the treadmill has worn tread, opt for the non-impact equipment, such as an elliptical trainer or stationary bike.

See whether your hotel has a phone number or Web site that gives specific information about its fitness center (type of equipment, availability of personal trainers, hours, etc.). If you belong to a gym that has sites in other cities, find out whether it has "passport" memberships or offers discounts to gyms in the city you're traveling to.

If there's no gym where you're staying, pack your gym clothes and shoes anyway. You may still get the opportunity to take a walk or hike, run the hotel stairs or use a jump rope you bring along.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.