Many jobs require extensive traveling in order to see clients face-to-face, attend meetings, conduct inspections, sell products, etc. Traveling, however, is no excuse for failing to exercise.

Today, most hotels conveniently offer weight rooms and health gyms to their guests. Most of these facilities at least offer some variety of free weights and or cable and aerobic machines to utilize while away from home.

Aerobics machines can certainly help you lose weight packed on from those heavy business lunches, strength training machines can keep you fit, and free weights (barbells and dumbbells) can help pack on extra muscle mass. Some facilities even offer medicine balls and yoga mats so you can work on your flexibility and stress levels.

Here is a look at the various kinds of equipment commonly offered in hotel health gyms and see how to best use them while traveling:

Aerobic Machine Workout

Squeeze in a good aerobic workout while on your business travels. Aerobic exercises of 30 minutes or more get the heart pumping, flush out toxins, stimulate the brain, relieve stress, increase energy and other important factors.

Treadmills offer the flexibility of taking a brisk walk or stimulating jog. You might prefer to jump on an elliptical trainer which gets both arms and legs moving while saving the knees and ankles from taking a pounding. Many aerobic machines offer heart rate monitors so you can keep an eye on your ticker while you workout.

Cable and Weight Machine Workout

If your hotel’s health gym offers cable and weight machines, then you can continue to keep those muscles tight. Make a quick scan of what machines are available and create an off-the-cuff strength training program. You should at least hit your main muscle groups like arms, legs and chest. If a greater variety of machines exists then you can get in a really good workout.

You can either do 3 sets on one machine before moving onto the other, do compound exercises by working out on one then jumping over to another before returning to the first, or create a circuit where you do 1 set on each of your chosen machines before revisiting for another set.

Free Weight Workout

You can go a step further with strength training if the health gym offers free weights. Barbells and dumbbells provide a greater degree of muscle workout because they stimulate stabilizer muscles when lifting. Therefore, you not only build the targeted muscle or muscle group, but you also strengthen the important supporting muscles surrounding them.

Add squats, presses, curls and other free weight exercises to your aerobic workout and cable machine strength training for a powerful exercise program that will make you feel good and look buff for that next business meeting.

Keep Safety in Mind

The last thing you want to do is injure yourself while on a business trip so be sure to keep safety in the foremost of your mind while performing your health gym workout. Always do light exercises and stretch out your muscles for several minutes before jumping into your workout routine. If you’re trying out a new exercise or lifting heavy weight, ask for assistance from a gym worker if available. Asking another guest to spot you is also a good way to meet someone new on your journeys while staying safe.