While it may not be the top priority on the minds of gamblers and vacationers taking in the sights of Las Vegas, there are ways to stay in shape and remain active in the city that never sleeps. However, we have to admit there were many things lacking in Las Vegas that we expected to see in such a large tourist destination. Overall, we wouldn’t say the city is extremely conducive to exercise. We were shocked to find that our hotel didn’t even have a gym or fitness facilities. After finding exercise facilities at airport hotels, motels just off the highway, and nearly every other hotel we’ve visited in the US, the lack of facilities at a major resort in Vegas came as a surprise. Another surprise is the lack of biking trails or bike lanes along Las Vegas’ busy streets. It seems adding bike lanes (or at least the option to bike) would solve a lot of the city’s congestion problems and allow tourists to take in some of the scenery. Finally, a major surprise was the lack of sidewalks on some “off the Strip” city streets. While the strip and the major thoroughfares have wide sidewalks, many other streets are nearly inaccessible to pedestrian traffic.

If you’re looking to partake in exercise in Vegas, probably the best bet is to go jogging along the Strip. This is what we did early one morning and we found it’s a great way to take in the sites of the city and enjoy all that Vegas has to offer. Please note, its important to go running early in the morning. By the afternoon the desert temperatures start to rise and the sidewalks become very congested. Unless you want to constantly battle obstacles and hordes of tourists, start early and beat the crowds. The strip offers several miles of continuous sidewalks that are well maintained, so this should provide an adequate route. If you are looking for even more of a challenge some of the major cross-streets along the Strip are also good routes to explore and these roads also offer well-maintained pedestrian paths. So next time you’re in Vegas, take a walk or a jog along the Strip and you’ll find it’s an enjoyable way to take in what the city has to offer.