You may not think a fitness instructor would like visiting Sin City, but I do! As a matter of fact, my husband and I end up visiting pretty regularly. Since my livelihood depends upon staying fit, it is very important to me to find ways to maintain my condition, no matter where I travel. I had to learn how to stay fit in Sin City!
On a recent visit, we stayed at the MGM Grand resort, as we have many years in a row. Because we are members in their rewards program, and visit pretty frequently, they cover our room and give us a food credit with each visit. I regularly play Blackjack, so the casino is banking on the idea that I, and their other comped vacationers, will likely lose. After all, “Vegas wasn’t built on winners”.
But, win or lose I have to stay fit, so here are my
5 Tips to Stay Fit in Sin City.
#1 Choose the right room.
We always request the Stay Well floor at the MGM. There are several perks associated with the rooms on the Stay Well floor, that actually do, help you stay well. These include free visits to the spa, guaranteed non-smoking rooms and blackout shade to help with sleep. (My favorite perk, has nothing to do with fitness though, and it is the fact that you can bypass the check-in line and head to a private room, where there is virtually no wait.)
Getting good rest is essential to good health across the board, so you certainly do not want a room where you will hear the revelry as you try to sleep. And, if you are a late night gambler, you need a room with solid black-out curtains. In addition, public smoking is still legal in Vegas, so the last thing you want is the distraction of a room that stinks from previous smokers. Do your research and make sure you select a room you can sleep in well. And don’t be afraid to ask for more pillows or blankets to relax comfortably!
MGM Grand, on the Vegas Strip, where we stayed on a recent trip.
#2 Mix fitness activities with sight-seeing.
One of my favorite ways to do this is climbing the Stratosphere tower. This gives you the opportunity to make it to the top, and see amazing views down the strip, and the Nevada desert. Stair climbing is a mega-calorie burner, and one of my favorites. Each March I make this climb in a race called Scale The Strat. That is a 107 story race, up the stairs. We had to miss it in 2017, because we had other business during the time frame of the race, but we were back in 2018.
There are also several resorts where you can access the stair wells, usually by way of emergency exits from the casino areas. These stairwells are rarely used, and aren’t always super clean, but they still make for a fabulous workout.
#3 Bring your own compact equipment
There is a lot of personal equipment that you can bring along on your travels that doesn’t not take up a lot of baggage space. Having the right things with you enables you to get a quick work-out right in your room before heading out on the town. For many people this is far preferable than having to dress and head to the fitness center. A good example would be exercise bands or loops, which take up virtually no space.
Another great option is to carry your own yoga mat, which you can use right in your room as well. If you are looking for the right yoga mat, our friend Erin at Sol Salute has a great article on selecting the best yoga mat for travel. As a special treat, you could take your mat to the High Roller and participate in one of their yoga classes, that take place as you make the circuit on the giant Ferris Wheel.
We make a point to walk on the strip, a lot. I am not talking about the typical stroll to experience the vibe, but real walking. Generally, we will use walking as our main form of getting around town. The MGM is located at the south end of the strip. On every visit we walk to the north end of the strip to visit the Fashion Show Mall. We have a healthy meal at an all-you-can-eat sushi joint while there.
The north outlet shopping mall is quite a walk from the heart of the strip- over six miles- but we regularly make this trip. For our reward, sometimes we visit the Cheesecake Factory there, knowing the walk burned most of the calories. Then we shop the many stores before we make the walk back.
Although I love the MGM, we often stay at Bally’s, Paris, or Planet Hollywood, because we love the location of these three hotels. They’re centered on the strip, and it encourages us to walk even more during our trips because we can get to so many locations very quickly. We only use Uber if we’ve gone shopping, and the bags won’t fit into our backpack.
#5 Hydrate, continuously
Las Vegas is hot and dry. Even if it doesn’t feel as sticky as the south or the Midwest, you will sweat and lose a lot of water and salt under any circumstances. Add in exercise or a lot of walking, and you could dehydrate quickly. Keep a supply of bottled water in your room, and drink often. If you are sampling any of the free adult beverages at the gambling tables, then you need even more water. Alternate your free cocktails with free bottles of water.
Water is a MUST to carry when walking in Vegas, to avoid dehydration. Lugging two 40oz. bottles of water in the 110+ degree temperatures make the walks a little more challenging for sure. I realize you may not be willing to carry such a large bottle along, but if you are going to take less, plan your route out so you have stops for fill-ups or replacements.
So, now that you have my simple tips to stay fit in Sin City, what about all of that Vegas food???
Frankly, I love to eat, and it is a pleasure that I am not willing to sacrifice. In fact, I am willing to workout a little harder, and walk a little further, so I can enjoy a splurge without threatening my fitness. We make it a point to have only two meals a day while we are in Vegas though. We usually eat an early lunch (around 11:30am) and dinner (around 6:00pm). Since we do like to splurge a bit, and try new things, eating only twice a day limits the impact.
This year, we tried a new restaurant called Tacos El Gordo, which is located at the north end of the strip. This tiny restaurant often has a line of forty to sixty people during the lunch and dinner hours. We’ve always wanted to try it, but whenever we see the line, we choose a different restaurant.
We decided to give it a go at 4:00pm. Although there was no line outside, there was one inside. All items are a la carte, which was great, since we had no clue what to order. We tried tacos and quesadillas with the pork and honestly, we were pretty disappointed.
The items are quite small, about four inches in circumference, at the most. Although it seemed inexpensive, ($2.25-$4.50 each,) I wasn’t full after two tacos and one quesadilla. We treated ourselves to some ice cream on the way back to the hotel.
If I can stay fit in Vegas, you can too!
After many yeas of experience, I have learned that staying fit in Vegas does not mean completely depriving yourself of the amazing food or entertainment options, or spending a couple of hours a day in the gym. The easiest, and most fail-proof method is to combine your exercise with your entertainment. Carry a backpack and a water bottle, and walk, everywhere you go.
Walking may not be a regular part of your fitness routine. Many people who love the gym, and a lot of weight-bearing exercise, see walking as lame. However, having been a fitness instructor and personal trainer for nearly 20 years, I assure you this is not the case. The big danger on a vacation is want to see and experience things, and NOT wanting to sacrifice those experiences to spend time in the gym. Walking allows you to do both. You can see an experience things, and get good exercise at the same time. Thank me later!
Both travel and fitness are very important to me, so I find ways to work both into my busy lifestyle. You can do the same!
Contributed by Nancy Lamb
Owner of First N Fitness, in Bloomington, Illinois.
If you are in central Illinois, and are looking for a fitness home, check out the FirstNFitness Facebook page, here:
