King-sized bed? Check. Free continental breakfast? Check. Mints on the pillow? Big Check. Fitness facility? Ummm…check.

It may not fall high on our list of needs when looking for hotels to stay in - mints may even take precedence -  but exercising doesn't always have to fall lower on our list of priorities when we're traveling. Working out can remain on the schedule espe­cially if the traveler already
has a routine that they stick to at home.

While most hotels now
have gym facilities, Billy Fletcher, owner of Focused Fitness in Greenville, says they may not be the best idea, because of the difference between the machines used at home and the hotel's machines.

Fletcher says he has had clients get hurt using hotel gyms. "So usually my suggestion is to do things that involve your body weight, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, crunches, things of that nature," he says.

Along with exercises that use body weight, Fletcher recommends traveling with exercise tubing or bands to include resistance exercises. If the hotel gym has free weights, those would be OK because the weight can be controlled, Fletcher says.

As for cardio there's
always a staircase or road nearby to pound the pavement. Ask the front desk if there are any maps available. At the Westin Poinsett
guests can get a map with three-mile and five-mile running routes designed by Runner's World Magazine.

Anna Stankiewicz demonstrates the circuit Billy Fletcher, owner of Focused Fitness in Greenville, recommends to his clients when they are traveling. He says you can rotate through them three to five times depending on your fitness level. The repetitions of each step should also be chosen depending on fitness level (i.e. 25 squats or 200 squats.) Photos by Ian Curcio

2 RUNNING ROUTES

Two suggested Greenville running loops from Runner's World. Both routes start at the Westin Poinsett hotel.

3-MILE ROUTE
1. Head south on Main
Street.
2. Turn right on River Street. River becomes Richardson Street and then Townes Street.
3. Turn right on Stone Avenue.
4. Turn right on N. Main Street and back to the Westin.

5-MILE ROUTE
1. Head south on Main St.
2. Turn left into Falls Park and cross Liberty Bridge to Camperdown Way.
3. Turn right onto Cleveland Street, it turns into Jones Avenue.
4. Turn right onto Augusta Street.
5. Turn right onto Church Street.
6. Turn right onto Crescent Avenue.
7. Turn left onto McDaniel Avenue.
8. Turn left on the path that runs along Reedy River.
9. Continue on the path, past the Governor's School for the Arts. Turn right onto University Street.
10. Turn right onto Augusta Street, then right onto Main Street, which will bring you back to the Westin.

To see the map visit www.starwoodhotels.com/ Media/PDF/greenville_rev _5 _15_05.pdf.