Airports can be tiring, and the odd schedules and jet lag can really messup a healthy routine. Wouldn’t it be great if you could squeeze in a goodworkout while traveling and get those endorphins running? Luckily, manyairports now have fitness centers and gyms to address this issue and provide aspace to get your sweat on before your flight. In this article, we will tellyou about the five healthiest airports in U.S with impressive gyms and fitnesscenters.
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) receives majority ofChicago’s air traffic. The airport is huge and there’s a lot you can do to killtime while waiting for your flight. The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport is thehotel with a great high end fitness center located within the airport itself. Ifyou are a frequent flyer, you can even get a pass or membership at the Hiltonathletic club and get access to the many facilities such as sauna, lap pool,steam room and full service locker rooms. It is located near the domesticterminals, especially the terminal 2. It is also easily accessible via theunderground walkways at the airport.
The gym features free weights along with barbells,dumbbells, benches, a number of fully functional cardio machines (each withtheir own TV!) And a squat rack. This fits perfectly with most fitnessroutines. If you are into yoga and meditation, there’s also a yoga room herewhich is equipped with all the basic things you’ll need for a great yogasession. This includes a calming background music of course, along with yogamats and even a video monitor that demonstrates various yoga poses and asana totry out. The floor to ceiling mirrors help you maintain the perfect posture,and the frosted windows let in natural light to set a nice ambiance. This yogaroom is located in Terminal 3 of the airport and open to all.
The Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) has agreat fitness center named Roam Fitness. It is quite huge, taking up most ofthe space between concourses D and E with almost 1175 square foot space! Youcan get in a quick workout at the gym from 5am to 10pm, and it is open everyday. Given the large amount of space, you can expect it to be equipped with topfitness machines and a variety of cardio equipment to get your blood pumping.There are free weights and medicine balls as well.
It is quite a smart move to incorporate a small workout gearshop by the name of Lululemon near the fitness center. It sells sports bras,shorts, tank tops and t-shirts. So now you have no excuse to skip that leg dayregardless of being in transit and flying! After your workout, you can also get15 golden minutes of shower before your check in to stay fresh during yourflight. You can reserve the shower facility up to 24 hours in advance online ifyou are an annual member of Roam fitness. This also means you can access thegym just to get a quick shower before the flight! The day pass costs around$40, and there are monthly and annual packages too.
The Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) has an upscale 24/7fitness center by the name of Westin that’s excellent for all the fitnessbuffs. No matter what time your flight is, you won’t miss your workout whenflying from Detroit. The fitness center is quite huge and well equipped witheverything you will need to get your sweat on. This includes treadmills andelliptical for cardio, as well as free weights for weightlifting and strengthtraining. All the cardio machines have a TV screen so you can keep busy andstick to your workout.
Now comes the best part, the heated pool! It is a Godsend,especially in winters, to wash away that travel anxiety and tiredness, jet lagsand misery of catching flights at odd hours. There’s also a hot tub to soak inand relax for some much needed comfort amidst the hectic travels. If you enjoyworking out in the outdoors, you can also access the running routes of Westin.The hotel can provide you a detailed guide with map to indicate the routes thatare about three to five mile long, and excellent for jogging or just a nicewalk. If you are a guest at the hotel in the airport, you can rent out newbalance workout gear and shoes for as less as $5. The fitness center is locatedat the McNamara terminal of the airport. The gym is open at all timesthroughout the week, and the pool is functional from 6am to 11pm.
Vermont’s Burlington International Airport (BTV) has a lotof great choices for passengers who have some time to kill at the airport. The naturalbeauty and serene vibes of the airport are enough to set the mind at ease and calmyour nerves, especially for those who have travel anxiety. This is coupled withtheir yoga studio named Evolution Yoga. The entry is completely free of cost,and the space is sponsored by local studio by the same name in Vermont. It islocated on the second floor’s hallway that comes before baggage claim.
You can use the yoga studio from 4am – 10 pm every day. Tryyour favorite postures, stretch and meditate to get that blood flowing beforeyou catch a long flight. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy a nice walk onthe green roof deck located on top of the parking garage in fresh air and thesmell of alpine plant. The mezzanine area of the airport has several easychairs, white rocking chairs, couches and coffee table to enjoy a nice view ofthe runway and aircrafts after your workout. If you’ve had a particularlysweaty session, there’s a family bathroom with showers located across theObservation Tower of the airport to freshen up.
We are not quite done with yoga centers yet! There are sometruly fantastic yoga rooms situated in the San Francisco International Airport(SFO). The best thing about these yoga rooms is that entry is completely freeof cost and they are open at all times throughout the week. They maintain a quietand calm ambiance with yoga mats laid out on the floor, yoga props and someexercise balls. It’s a great way to relax your nerves, stretch out and get someblood flowing.
You can also meditate here as it is surprisingly quiet andcalm. To maintain this tranquil setting, they prohibit the use of cell phonesinside the yoga rooms. The yoga rooms are located throughout the airport. Youcan find them near Gate 69, at terminal 2, the boarding area D, terminal 3 andBoarding area E. This means you’ll never be too far from your boarding gate,and can always get a quick workout in or just stretch a little to calm yourselfdown.
