What’s the best remedy for weary legs that sprinted through a terminal to catch a connecting flight? A deep tissue massage. Yesterday afternoon, I popped into the Renova Spa at Cancun’s Riu Palace Peninsula to de-stress and rejuvenate this travel-worn body of mine. Within moments of facing down on the massage table, I knew I had the right masseur, Alberto. A massage is like speed dating to me. I can tell instantly whether this is going to be a good massage or bad depending on the masseuse’s first movements. The ones that hone in on pressure points are usually bad. The good ones are like scientists searching for the sorest of muscles. Alberto instantly found that knot in my back that I’ve had since biking uphill for an hour at Utah’s Zion National Park in October. And man, did he work it with strong hands and elbows. I walked out of there as loose as a jellyfish. 

 

Next door to the Renova Spa is the gym. The Riu Palace Peninsula is one of the first Riu resorts in the Americas to feature Riu Fit, trainers that lead guests in daily pilates, yoga, and water aerobics workouts. Not readily known is that you can have a personal training session at the gym for free. The complimentary workout is included in the all-inclusive price. While waiting for my massage, I saw several people take advantage of this opportunity and judging from the amount of sweat that poured from their bodies, they were getting their money’s worth.