I have been in Las Vegas for a fitness business conference, and it always strikes me when I am away from home how hard it is to keep on my fitness schedule, or to eat well etc. It is SO easy to just give up, and cave in, eat whatever, do nothing and just let it slide.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s ok too, if that is your goal, but if it isn’t…..then you DO have options, and for me, still fighting off the tummy bulge I earned at Christmas, I needed to stay on track.
When I arrived to my hotel, I was bombarded by the latest and greatest annoyances – seems the hotel industry is following the airline industry – where everything is extra. Luggage? That’s extra…per bag please. Food on the three-hour flight? That’s extra. Pillow? Blanket? Extra. Good grief.
I arrived at my hotel and set up to get some work done in preparation for the conference.
Internet in your room? Sure, for $15 a day.
So I signed up and got to work before heading out for some people watching and a meal. Managed to make some good choices at the buffet, which is now $35 a sitting plus tax and tip, (sadly that pressures me to eat enough to make it a value). That’s a bad habit right there.
Regardless, there I was feeling a little heavy, so I went for a walk for a few hours to burn off some of the excess. Vegas never disappoints, there is always lots to see, from buildings and monuments to fascinating people! The latest trend is people that are making homemade or buying fancy costumes of famous movie elements and posing for photos. There was a guy with a homemade Transformers ‘Bumble Bee’ character outfit that was simply amazing! ‘Woody’ from Toy Story, Minions, ‘Ironman’, Halo characters, the Star Wars cast, ‘Dr. Evil’, etc. Hilarious!
The next morning I figured I would head down to the gym before the conference and get in a workout. It cost $25 to use the hotel gym.
Seriously? Fine, substitute FREE hotel workout. My room has two beds in it, and some floor space. Perfect. I did 20 push ups, 20 tricep dips (using the beds for hands and feet), then I did 20 body weight squats, 20 marching planks (like a regular plank, but you raise and lower your feet while in the plank), and 20 burpees. Repeat three times for a 25-minute workout that had me sweating! On to breakfast!
The conference was fantastic. A gathering of gym and boot camp owners from all around North America, all discussing ways to better serve our clients and work with our staff. Brilliant!
After the last day of the conference, several of us went out for supper and then a long walk. Some voted for a cab to the Mandalay Bay, but I requested we walk the 2.5 kms, to people watch and talk and thankfully, all agreed.
Arriving at the Mandalay Bay, the plan was to head into a massive nightclub for a while, but the entry fee was $60 and drinks started at $10.
I thanked everyone for their company and like a true fitness geek, I walked back to my hotel, for I had another plan for my hard-earned dollars.
Waking up on Sunday, I arranged for a rental car and drove for an hour to the Valley of Fire, just North of Las Vegas. I parked the car, changed and went for a 14 km run in some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet! It was a hilly, challenging run, but so spectacular! It felt so good to be out in nature, surrounded by amazing rock formations and desert life. So yes, I am a fitness geek, but I am also happy, healthy, and still on track for my goals.
And I got ‘er done in Las Vegas.
Scott McDermott is a personal trainer and owner of Best Body Fitness in Sylvan Lake.
