Why spend hours rowing without the benefit of river vistas?  Running in place, with neither scenery nor destination?  Climbing stairs to raise your heart rate but not your elevation?  

Sophisticated fitness buffs who disdain the sweaty throngs at the gymnasium, the stuffy locker rooms, the pounding music and the monotonous view know that there is another way:  as in times past, wholesome and daring Americans are seeking their recreation in the great outdoors.  And up in the sublime wilderness of the Adirondacks, The Point and Lake Placid Lodge, original centers of “adventure sports,” still promote the pursuit of hearty outdoorsmanship from a home base of unparalleled luxury. 

Sister resorts in the prestigious Relais & Chateaux association, both properties were built as rustic retreats for New York financiers at a time when the only attraction of a gymnasium might be wrestling or tossing a medicine ball.  Carefully sited on Upper Saranac Lake and beautiful Lake Placid, respectively, The Point and Lake Placid Lodge, by contrast, have every advantage of year-round outdoor sports.  Their Fitness Centers are the lakes, the surrounding mountains, paths, and streams.  The only music is the call of wild birds.   

And the views?  No wall-to-wall mirrors, no helplessly watching others huff and puff through their own dismal work-outs.  The pristine splendor of the Adirondacks is an ever-changing panorama, inspiring artists and writers—and sportsmen—for centuries.  Tender spring greens, lush summer wild flowers, brilliant autumn foliage, and blankets of unblemished snow are the spellbinding backdrop for the incidental burning of calories.

Get your heart rate up scrambling through the breathtaking Adirondack State Park.  The views from the peaks are far more rewarding than any gymnasium breaks.  The hearty few sports-men and -women who’ve successfully climbed each of the forty-six Adirondack peaks that top 4,000 feet in altitude form an elite informal club of “46-ers.”  For many repeat visitors, as well as locals, the forty-six peaks pose a legendary challenge.  For those who are counting, it’s a fitness ambition for a lifetime.  For those who aren’t, it’s an impressive weekend work-out, indeed.  

In season, allow a licensed guide to lead you to the best hunting and fishing the northern wilderness has to offer.  Paddle a canoe through the glassy waters of the lakes.  Peddle a Cannondale mountain bike along the endless local trails.  Come winter, excellent skiing on nearby Whiteface Mountain and the magnificent cross country trails are an exhilarating way to earn a hearty evening meal…   

Lake Placid is universally known as the site of the Winter Olympics—in both 1932 and in 1980.  For the most daring fitness thrill-seekers, Lake Placid Lodge offers special training arrangements at the nearby Olympic facilities with renowned Olympic trainers and champions in events such as bobsled, luge, ski-jump, biathalon, ice skating, and nordic and alpine skiing.    

So venture north and get outdoors for a return to the classic rigors of physical fitness, clean, pure air, and fresh wholesome rewards.  You’ll never go back to the gym. 

The Point, Lake Placid Lodge and The Inn of The Five Graces, all operated by The Garrett Hotel Group, are members of Relais & Châteaux, the prestigious international association of privately owned hotels and restaurants embodying the highest culinary standards and the French “art de vivre.”