Fitness getaways for cheap: for an action-packed spring adventure that won't tank your bank account, check out these 4 affordable fitness resorts and spas - Venture Out

Shape, March, 2003

From $155 per person, quadruple occupancy; (800) 235-8365, tfspa.com.

Beth Janes

4. The Palms at Palm Springs, Calif.

Don't let the tony ZIP code fool you. This unpretentious spa, which occupies a cluster of red-tile-roofed haciendas just a stone's throw from Palm Springs' glitz-and-glam fashion district, is one of the cheapest places on American turf to drop a few holiday pounds. In March, the desert erupts into a carpet of minuscule wildflowers, and the temps are positively springlike. It's the perfect time to come shed weight without breaking your budget.

The spa's bungalow-style rooms face a lawn-fringed swimming pool that's a beauty, plus a jampacked fitness center that offers everything from aerobics to Zen yoga, plus fitness and health evaluations. Enjoy guided nature walks and breathtaking mountain hikes in the craggy San Jacinto Mountains, which rise from the sidewalk's end and crest in nearly 11,000-foot peaks, spires and pinnacles that reflect the pinkish-purple rays of the setting sun.

After a fat-blasting workout, head to the spa for aromatherapy, body scrubs and massage, or unwind with biofeedback, hypnotherapy and reflexology. Then chow down on calorie-controlled tasty food such as stir-fry, vegetable crepes, broiled red snapper and vegetarian lasagna. Feel free to go for seconds to boost the spa's 1,000-calorie meal plan to a healthier 1,800 calories a day.

For a close-up peek at those peaks, ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. In just 121/2 minutes, you'll be whisked from the desert flats to a winter wonderland past gasp-inspiring views of razor gorges and gaping canyons surrounded by soaring spires. It's the best show in town, and maybe even on earth.

Five-night midweek package, from $795 per person, all-inclusive, includes one spa treatment; (800) 753-PALM, palmsspa.com