Can't take your trainer with you? Hotel fitness professionals are becoming more prevalent and options more diverse.

By Bonne Marano 

Joining the ranks of designer bags and summer rentals, personal trainers have become the latest status symbol. While personal trainers provide a valuable service for the health-conscious, many people become overly dependent on their trainers. Some find it hard to maintain their fitness regimen when traveling. Who will coach them on their form? Who will push them to do that extra set? Most importantly, who will program those cardio machines?

Going out of town does not have to mean getting out of shape. These days many hotels offer mini health clubs with high-tech machinery and free weights. Most are staffed with knowledgeable personnel. In some hotels you can even request a stairclimber be brought to your room. Or you can order up a VCR for your favorite exercise video that you remembered to pack. (Let me guess...Tae Bo?)

In my own travels, I have come across hotel fitness centers that equal any of the major health-club chains. The use of the hotel fitness center is almost always included in the price of the room. Some hotels may have arrangements with local gyms, so you have your pick of facilities. While this may cost extra, it can be your chance to try something new. This is the part of traveling that I love, going to new cities and taking exercise classes with other instructors. No two instructors teach the same class the same way. I try to work out incognito, but I rarely get away with it. (I guess we aerobic people just have a sixth sense.)

Still feeling less than motivated to train? Sometimes you just need a little push. If the hotel gym doesn't have anyone on staff, enlist the power of the Internet. I encourage you to check out the American Council on Exercise to find a certified trainer. ACE can provide a list of more than 40,000 ACE-certified fitness professionals across the country.

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