Venues offering Fitness

Fitness refers to the equipped workout area within spa and wellness venues and the trainer service that goes with it. Hotel spas and comprehensive wellness venues usually have cardio equipment, weight stations and a free-weights area; at some venues group classes are also part of the programme. The venues on this page are not standalone gyms but the fitness areas of hotels and clubs that also offer spa services.

What will you find in a spa's fitness area?

Fitness areas at spa venues are usually not on the scale of a gym; they are meant to help staying guests or members keep up their daily activity. Typical equipment is as follows:

• Cardio: machines such as treadmills, elliptical trainers and exercise bikes
• Strength: weight stations, dumbbells and a free-weights area
• Stretching area: a corner for warming up and stretching, with mats, balls and resistance bands

More comprehensive venues add an indoor or outdoor pool, a squash court, outdoor sports areas and personal training sections. Because the range of equipment varies markedly from venue to venue, it is wise to ask in advance if you have a particular training routine.

Order of training and recovery

Having the fitness area under the same roof as recovery services such as the sauna, steam room and sports massage is an advantage for recovery after training. The sauna and heat treatments should be used after training, not before; heat lowers performance and increases fluid loss. A practical order is: cool down and stretch at the end of the workout, then drink water and shower, and use the sauna or steam room once your heart rate has settled. After sweating, also allow time to cool down and replace the fluid you have lost.

Duration and frequency

How long and how often you train depends on your goal. The general recommendation for adults is moderate-intensity aerobic activity spread across the week, plus muscle-strengthening work on at least two days a week. During a hotel or resort stay the aim is usually not to start a new programme but to keep up your usual activity; a short, moderate-intensity workout followed by the pool or sauna fits more easily into the day. It is advisable to set aside time for a warm-up and cool-down in every session.

Access: staying guests, membership or day use

Access to the fitness area at spa venues is mostly by one of three routes: use by guests staying at the hotel, membership for a set period, and day use open to outside guests. Which option is offered, whether areas such as the pool, sauna and hammam are included, and whether a trainer is charged separately all vary by venue. These distinctions also determine the cost of using the fitness area: the length of membership, whether the wet areas are included, personal training sessions, group classes and the type of venue (city hotel spa, resort or wellness club).

Who should take care

The fitness area suits adults of different ages and levels, but some situations call for precautions. If you have cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes, or have recently had surgery, plan your training with your doctor. If you have been inactive for a long time, start at a low intensity. During pregnancy, the type and intensity of training should be discussed with a doctor. If you feel chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or an irregular heartbeat while training, stop immediately and ask for help.

Fitness, Pilates and yoga

At spa venues the fitness area is often offered together with instructor-led classes. The main differences between the three are as follows:

Where to find it, and what to ask beforehand

Most of the venues on the site with a fitness area are hotel spas: they range from city hotels in Istanbul and Ankara to resort hotels in Bolu, Burdur and Adıyaman, thermal hotels in Kızılcahamam (Ankara) and Kuşadası (Aydın), and a beach resort on the İzmir coast. A smaller share are fitness and wellness clubs that work on a membership basis. Before using the fitness area it is useful to ask:

• What are the opening hours, and when is it busy?
• Is membership or day use offered; are non-residents accepted?
• Is a trainer included, or charged separately?
• Are showers, lockers and towels available?
• What is the range of equipment; is there a free-weights area, and are there group classes?