Hotel Cardio Room

Just because you are visiting Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club for relaxation does not mean neglecting your exercise routine. As an in-house guest at the Hotel you will have access to the Hotels Cardio Room on the 5th floor (room 511) for use during your stay. Enjoy a work out and emerge feeling proud of yourself for keeping up with your exercise routine.

Treadmill in the Hotel Cardio Room

• There are a lot of benefits to exercising on the Hotel Cardio Room´s tread-mill because you can exercise indoors and avoid bad weather.
• The treadmill gives you options to adjust your speed for running and walking.
• You can use the treadmill for years with few injuries because it will have little impact on your heels, knees, ankles and back.
• You can also pre-programme your exercise preferences to include speed variations and inclines.

Cross trainer in the Hotel Cardio Room

• When exercising on a cross trainer there is no impact - elliptical trainer workouts are safe on the joints and provide a no impact workout.
• The Cross trainer is perfect for guests with back, knee, hips and joint problems as well as older people who are looking for a no-impact workout.
• At the same time that an elliptical machine gives you a no-impact workout, the resistance exercise on the Cross trainer helps to build bone density and fight off osteoporosis.
• You will burn more calories in less time because the elliptical trainers include upper body and arms while giving the whole body an overall better workout.
• You have a great opportunity to cross-train because elliptical trainers are a mix between the treadmill and a stair climber.

Exercise Bicycle in the Hotel Cardio Room

• The exercise bicycle at the Riviera on Vaal Hotel Cardio Room is ideal for a low-impact full body workout while minimising wear and tear on your joints.
• Low impact training is occasionally favoured due to injury or personal preference but do remember that this will result in you burning less calories.
• The elliptical exercise bike in the Hotel Cardio Room will give you a full body workout, with low impact and you will still be able to burn maximum calories in minimum time.
• Guests of all ages and fitness levels can use the exercise bicycle in the Riviera on Vaal Hotel Cardio Room.

Mats in the Hotel Cardio Room, try these exercises

• Bicycle kicks - target leg and abdominal muscles.
• Lie face up flat on the mat. Bend your left and right knees alternately toward your torso and move your legs as if you were bicycling. Keep your feet from touching the floor as you stretch out your legs. Count only when your right leg bends. Inhale for two kicks, exhale for two kicks.
• Crunches - strengthens abdominal muscles.
• Lie face up on the mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands in a comfortable position such as folded across your chest or behind your neck. Roll your upper body forward, contracting your stomach muscles. Lift your shoulder blades off the mat and hold the position for 1 second. Exhale when you contract your stomach, inhale when lying back down.
• Reverse Crunches are a variation with the same starting position, but instead of lifting the torso, the legs are lifted so that the knees approach the chest.

Gym Balls in the Hotel Cardio Room

• The exercise balls in the Hotel Cardio Room will challenge you by putting your body in an unstable environment.
• When you lie on the ball, your legs and abs immediately contract to keep you from falling off.
• When you add an exercise to that (like a chest press or a crunch), you´ve just increased the intensity of the movement.
• Bonus: Exercise balls are flexible enough to use for just about anything, including, weight training, abdominal training, sitting around, flexibility, yoga, pilates exercises and playing around.

Free weights, there are a few exercises you can do using free weights

• Pushups - target triceps, back, and abdominal muscles.
• Put the dumbbells on the mat as far apart as the width of your shoulders. Holding the bars of the dumbbells when you do your pushups place your wrists in a less stressful position than if you put your hands flat on the mat. Lie face down with your chest on the mat. Lift your body by pushing only with your arms while maintaining the rest of your body rigid and pivoting from your toes. On your way down, make sure that your chest touches the mat for each repetition. Your arms lift approximately 70% of your body weight during a pushup. You can check this by putting your hands on a bathroom scale in a pushup position and dividing the weight shown on the scale by your body weight. Inhale when you push up, exhale on the way down.
• Squats - strengthens legs and back muscles.
• Stand with legs as far apart as the width of your shoulders. Keeping your back straight and arms down by your side, bend your legs until the tips of your fingers touch the floor. Stand up back to the starting position. As a variation, you can hold the dumbbells by your side during the squats. Exhale when you squat, inhale as you stand up.