8 Workout Safety Tips for the Hotel Gym You’ve checked into your luxury hotel, ready to shrug off the aches and pains from a long flight. You can’t wait to hit that posh gymnasium. Whether your workout destination is 5 Diamond rated Palazzo All Suite Resort Hotel Casino by Venetian with its legendary Canyon Ranch SpaClub or a small motel with a tiny gym — be careful! Exercising without proper warm up, stretching and sound techniques can do more harm than good. Following are 8 tips to help you exercise safely in the hotel gym:

Don’t begin any intense exercise regimen without getting the green light from your health care provider, especially if you are 50 years of age or older. If you’ve got a tricky back, tennis elbow, or fragile knees you need to follow your provider’s advice. If you’ve got some arthritic problems or some muscular tightness, take a long hot (or warm, if you can’t tolerate too much wet heat) and try to perform gentle stretches while bathing. Alternatively, you can take a dip in the Jacuzzi, if available. Jot down a workout routine ahead of time. It’s never a good idea to exercise haphazardly, going from one machine to another. Work on one muscle group (such as torso/upper body or legs and calves) per day; this gives one muscle group a chance to recover while you work on another muscle group the following day. If you have a big belly and have visions of doing a 150 crunches to tighten up your abs, don’t do it! Crunches and sit ups do little good if you’re not working your core abdominal muscles.

Stretch your lower back, hamstrings, calves and neck before lifting weights or doing cardiovascular exercises such as jogging on the treadmill or working out on the cross-training machines. Stretching elongates your muscles, makes them more flexible and helps prevent injury. If you are just beginning a weightlifting program, start with light weights and lift slowly and never to the point of complete muscle exhaustion. Drink plenty of water to make sure you are hydrated during your workout. Enjoy a nice massage and a refreshing swim after your hard work at the gym. Most deluxe hotels have spa facilities and swimming pools to help you enjoy a well-down cool down from your exercise regimen.