Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Open StayFit@Hyatt 24/7 Gyms to Help Business Travelers Stay in Shape on the Road

Market Wire, August, 2006

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of its StayFit@Hyatt 24/7 gyms. Guests at properties across North America and the Caribbean are now able to access the gyms, which feature state-of-the-art Life Fitness® equipment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To celebrate the launch, celebrity fitness expert Gunnar Peterson hosted Hyatt's "Escape the Rat Race" Stay Fit 24/7 Challenge and shared tips on how business travelers can maintain their workout regimes while on the road. The challenge kicked off with a tag-team fitness obstacle course at New York's South Street Seaport.

"My clients are always traveling and have demanding schedules, so my goal is to offer fitness strategies they can employ no matter where they are or when they find time to exercise," says Gunnar Peterson, whose clientele includes Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Ben Affleck and Debra Messing. "It's common for my clients to be working out late at night or before sunrise when on set, which is similar to what other business travelers encounter when traveling across time zones or after a long day of meetings. That's why the convenience of 24/7 facilities like StayFit@Hyatt gyms are ideal."

Gunnar Peterson is the expert when it comes to knowing the workout challenge woes that his clientele face while they're on the road for business and/or on the set. In fact, nearly one-half of travelers polled by USA Today felt that they were in worse shape because they lack the time or the means to exercise properly during travel. However, it is possible to keep in shape while traveling with Gunnar's simple travel fitness tips:

1. Schedule Your "Fitness Meeting": Maintain your wellness routines when on the road by planning ahead and scheduling workout times as you would a business meeting. If it's in your PDA calendar, you'll be more inclined to find the time for the gym. Be sure to plan ahead and ask about your hotel's fitness and dining offerings, and pack your exercise clothes.

2. Find Your Rhythm: Got jet lag? Research has shown that exercise helps to reset circadian rhythms and is one behavior to help your internal clock get back in sync. And when done earlier in the day, exercise can even help you sleep better at night.

--  Taking melatonin a few days before your trip has been shown to be
    effective in overcoming jet lag, but ask your doctor before trying anything
    new.  Also, when crossing time zones, be careful with your caffeine intake.
    

3. The Time Zone Challenge: Business travelers' workouts often suffer from the impact of crossing different time zones as that can change their usual exercise schedules. If you're not used to exercising early in the morning or late in the evening, try to stick as close to your normal exercise schedule as you can, even if it means reducing the intensity of the workout because you have to be able to meet your work commitments. Also, the benefit of staying at a hotel with a 24-hour gym, like Hyatt's StayFit@Hyatt 24/7 gym, is that it allows you the flexibility of working out whenever you need to.

--  If you're working out in the morning, try multi-joint exercises to
    wake up your body and your brain and to get the most done when the majority
    of people have less time. Multi-joint exercises include squats and dumbbell
    lunges followed by an upper body move, such as a dumbbell curl or lateral
    raise.
--  Make sure you don't exercise too close to bedtime and also allow
    yourself time to eat post-workout so that your body has something to work
    with.
    

4. Take 30: Make a deal with yourself to go to the gym for at least 30 minutes. Chances are, after 30 minutes, you'll feel better and stay longer... especially if you know you're exercising off that client dinner you just consumed.

--  If you only have 30 minutes, try this mini-routine: start with the
    Life Fitness chest press, followed by the Life Fitness Leg Press, followed
    by crunches on a stability ball. Repeat that sequence three to five times.
    With your remaining time, do the elliptical cross-trainer. Two days later,
    invert the order and start with the elliptical cross-trainer, then move
    through your exercises.
    

5. Keep It Safe: Another advantage of a 24-hour hotel gym is the safety and convenience when in an unfamiliar city. Runners can log their miles indoors on the treadmill in a climate-controlled, secure environment, especially if you want to run in the dawn or dusk hours. If you are more familiar with the neighborhood, but may need a little assistance, StayFit@Hyatt gyms provide GPS-tracking that not only monitors your heart rate, but also helps guides you back to the hotel to avoid getting lost.

6. Exercise Experimentation: If you don't have a gym membership at home, take advantage of your hotel gym facility and experiment with new routines that you would not get to do otherwise. You may even adopt a new love for fitness!

--  Try a machine that you may not have access to at home. This way both
    your muscles and your mind get something out of the new setting.