You’re on vacation.
So there’s a good chance you left your body-image issues at home.
But if a few minutes at the pool or beach still make you feel like a T-shirt swimmer adrift in a sea of six-packs, fear not.
The Tween Waters Inn has got you covered.
Just a quick flight of stairs and a couple right turns from the hot tub is a judgement-free Valhalla where even the least-toned visitor can take 30 minutes to eliminate whatever guilt lingers from that extra slice of Crow’s Nest key lime pie.
The guest fitness center at has all the bells and whistles of a full-size gym in a conveniently compact size.
Free weights? Got ’em.
Cabled machines? Check.
Treadmills and stair-climbers? Yep.
There are clean towels and cold water, too.
And if you find your motivation lagging, take a look outside.
Imagine yourself playing a sun-soaked five-setter on the tennis courts that sit just an overhead smash from the second-floor window, or turn to the right a bit and catch a glimpse of the action on the pool deck.
Or, if that doesn’t do it, bring along an 8-year-old.
My main man Ryan accompanied me while the lovely Danielle slept in for Mother’s Day, and it wasn’t long before I realized keeping up with a second-grader provides whatever impetus that stepping on a scale might miss.
A brief tutorial on gym etiquette quickly gave way to an alpha male power struggle, featuring a revved-up mini-me bent on meeting and exceeding whatever standards the old man tried to set.
Five minutes on the treadmill? I can go 10.
Twenty sit-ups on the inclined bench? Watch me do 30.
Forty pounds on the lat row? Think I’ll try 50.
It wasn’t long before I was seeking out the water cooler, and breathlessly suggesting to the little guy that it was high time we got back to the room to hang out with Mom on her special day.
All of a sudden, body-image issues are the least of my concerns.
And next time, T-shirt or not, I’m pretty sure I’m stopping at the hot tub.
