Traveling for meetings can take a hit on healthy eating and fitness habits. In Colorado, one of the healthiest and fittest states in the nation, that doesn’t have to be true. Meeting and event planners can help attendees stay fit by simply asking the hotel or venue they are booking and the local tourism office or convention and visitor bureau what options are available or by planning activities for the few hours before registration is underway and in the morning before meetings get started.
At the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference the past three years in Westminster, Crested Butte and Breckenridge (this year it is Oct. 25–27 in Grand Junction) options have been built in like cross-fit, hiking, biking and yoga. When staying and meeting at The ART, a hotel in Denver, ask about the ART Run, which is a curated map that leads guests on an urban art running tour by downtown Denver’s best public art pieces and through a thriving cultural scene.
How many airports can say they have hosted a 3-mile run for visitors and guests at the on-site hotel? On National Running Day, June 7, The Westin Denver International Airport is launching its runWESTIN Run Concierge program. Runners will gather in the Sky Lobby on the sixth floor at 6:45 a.m. to begin the 3k run or walk, led by the hotel’s Run Concierge team. The route goes along the west side of Jeppesen Terminal, with sweeping views of the airport and Rocky Mountains, then to the terminal’s east side, finishing on the fifth-floor outdoor plaza. After the run, participants will refresh and recharge with a SuperFoodsRx breakfast and the chance to win prizes.
Beginning June 13, The Westin DIA will offer twice weekly runWESTIN runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. that are hosted by a member of the Run Concierge team, which is experienced and ready to guide any runner, no matter that person’s ability, pace or desired mileage. If a guest forgets running shoes, they can borrow from the hotel’s New Balance Gear Lending program. This hotel also knows meetings and events, as it has more than 37,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space. The Westin Denver Downtown also has a Run Concierge program and hosts 3-mile runs around downtown two days a week.
Colorado also has an amazing selection of destinations with hot springs, which were first utilized for their health benefits by Native Americans. Check out Colorado’s new Historic Hot Springs Loop in the western part of the state that features 19 facilities with hot springs for groups. One of the best known is Glenwood Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs right off Interstate 70 and an Amtrak ride away from Denver. I love the recent story shared about 98-year-old John D. Lawyer, who actually is a retired lawyer and has logged hundreds of miles in the pool’s lap lanes since moving to the valley 45 years ago. He still swims there twice a week!
It seems wise to end this story with some sage counsel from Lawyer: “Whatever your passion, you have to keep at it, stay motivated and never give up on anything you like doing.” That even means when traveling for business.
