Credit: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Exercise your right to stay fit when you go on that summer trip!
To all you senior winter sports aficionados out there who still have your summer escape ahead of you: Is fitness a part of your plans? It should be, and it should be easy to pull off. Those days of lazing about day after day, taking afternoon naps on an Adirondack chair on the lawn of a summer resort or reading a pile of paperback novels on a deck chair aboard a big ocean liner are long gone. Although relaxation is still a major part of summer getaways, the operative words today are “go, go, go!” That bodes well for us skiers, skaters, snowshoers and boarders who want to be ready to fly when the snow does. Staying in shape during the off-season has never been easier because resorts and cruise companies have geared up handsomely for today’s active senior vacationers.
With my very public fitness journey in the forefront of my mind, I decided to test out this fitness vacation thing and spent three days sampling the fitness options offered by The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, a luxury resort situated in the forest halfway up the mountain at Northstar ski area. In addition to all the activities one can do right at the resort, the staff can also arrange any number of active adventures available in the Tahoe area for its hotel guests.
Before we had even checked in, we stopped off at Tahoe Vista on the shores of Lake Tahoe and took the Tahoe Adventure Company’s “Discover Kayaking” tour with a guide, learning how to get into and maneuver a kayak (we were both first-timers), and paddling over to King’s Beach and back, learning about the geology and natural wonders of the lake along the way. One of the beauties of kayaking is that it can be as laid back or as rigorous as you want to make it. And for first-timers, you can’t beat a placid lake!
Our fitness vacation was now officially launched, and after checking in at the hotel, we plotted out the rest of our activities for our short stay. Our main venue would be the hotel’s fitness center, which offers an array of one-hour classes free to hotel guests on selected days, classes such as Active Stretch, Core Focus, and Healthy Back. There’s also a full complement of cardio equipment—treadmills, elliptical machines, recumbent and upright stationary bikes—as well as free weights, etc., available for use 24 hours a day. (It’s amazing how much more enjoyable exercising is when you’re looking out onto a forest.)
Ritz-Carlton guests can also enjoy a lap pool (in addition to the regular hotel pool), and staffers can help guests plan rounds of golf, hikes, mountain biking, white water rafting (when there isn’t a drought!), tennis, or fly fishing. There’s enough active outdoor stuff to do here that you don’t even have to feel guilty when you overindulge in the resort’s superb Manzanita dining room.
Of course, when staying at a five-star establishment, one must spend a certain amount of time luxuriating, which we did: Sunning and swimming at the main pool in between sips of daiquiris served poolside, chilling in the hot tub, and wrapping up our stay with a soothing massage at the resort’s beautiful spa.
Whether you’re headed for a luxury resort or Uncle Joe’s log cabin in the woods, with a little research ahead of time and a little planning,
Credit: Katie Cleese Photography
it’s easy to make sure that your vacation has a robust fitness component. Make a list of all the things you can partake in within a 20-mile radius of where you’re staying, then prioritize the items on the list and commit to the top however many. And every time you overindulge at mealtime, make sure you’re out there the next day, hiking or biking or swimming or running. You’re most likely in a very scenic place, so get out there and enjoy the view!
For more information on The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, go to www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/LakeTahoe/Default.htm
To contact Tahoe Adventure Company, go to www.tahoeadventurecompany.com or call (530) 913-9212.
