If heading to the gym meant snaking up switchbacks in St. Mortiz, Switzerland, disconnecting from cyberspace to snowboard outside of Waneka, New Zealand, or lacing up in Tokyo, we're guessing you'd move a hell of a lot faster. We would too.

But for Olympic athletes, another workout in the books can mean a stamp on the passport too.

That's why we asked 11 members of Team USA one simple question: What’s the coolest place to work out on the globe?

If your winter sports routines -- or those extra vacation days--need a shakeup, look no further than the slides ahead. (Here are 100 Things You Don't Know About the Sochi Olympics.)

U.S. Winter Olympians: Their Favorite Workout Places Around The World Slideshow

 

Cortina, Italy

Pete Fenson, Curling "We played the World Championships in 2010 in Cortina, Italy. It's a ski town in the Dolomite Mountains -- just beautiful."

 

Kitzbuhel, Austria

Travis Ganong, Alpline Ski "The epicenter for a ski racer is Austria, and the epicenter of that epicenter is Kitzbuhel. Modern ski racing was kind of dreamt up in this hut on a mountain there, and the Hahnenkamm -- the craziest downhill course -- is there. The fans are fanatical. In the U.S., ski racing isn’t that well known, but in Austria, it's the premier sport." (Whether you're a beginner or a big-mountain veteran, take your skiing skills to the next level.)

 

St. Moritz, Switzerland

Steven Holcomb, Bobsled "Switzerland is the home of bobsledding and St. Mortiz is home to the only natural track in the world and the longest one. They build it by hand every year, so if you go in the summer, it's a walking trail and a golf course. It’s the eighth wonder."

 

La Plagne, France

John Daly, Skeleton "You're really in the mountains here. You have about 20 miles of switchbacks up into the mountains. It’s like you're on top of the world. I love it. The women aren't bad either." (American luger Chris Mazdzer is sculpting gold-medal muscle for the Winter Games. Find out his Secret to Explosive Upper-Body Strength.)

 

Turin, Italy

Julie Chu, Hockey "I got a chance to play in the 2006 Olympics there and the last couple of days, I scooted over to Venice. The food in Italy is unreal -- it’s literally from the garden in the back of the restaurant to your plate. I think it ruined Italian food for some time after I came back."

 

Wanaka, New Zealand

Nick Goepper, Freeskiing "It's one of the most picturesque countries in the world. It’s so far removed and there isn't much Internet access, so you can go down there and just ski. You don't have to worry about contests or anything.” (Be strong, energetic, and healthy like you were at 25!)

 

Stockholm, Sweden

Andy Newell, Cross Country Skiing "I really like venues that draw big crowds. We do a race in downtown Stockholm where we race for the king and queen of Sweden. You race around the Royal Palace, and meet the princess after you win the race. I haven’t won yet, but I hope I will."

 

Vuokatti, Finland

Jeremy Wagner, Paralympic Nordic Skiing "I traveled there for the World Cup. Finland is really unique in that the cross-country course is separated from the biathlon course. They have a ski tunnel to ski in year-round. I jumped in a hole in the ice to cool off after the race. Being from Hawaii, I try to get in the water every place I visit.” (Read these winter sports injury prevention tips before picking up your next pair of skis.)

 

Oslo, Norway

Greg Bretz, Snowboard Halfpipe "We snowboarded at Vinterpark which was awesome. Oslo is a really cool city -- there's always so much going on and the architecture is insane."

 

Zurich, Switzerland

Hilary Knight, Hockey "When we got off the plane, the air was just so crisp and clear--it was gorgeous."

 

Tokyo, Japan

Charlie White, Figure Skating "It has such a different feel to it culturally. On top of that, the Japanese have a great understanding and appreciation for figure skating. As a skater, this means the world to me. It makes each performance feel really special."

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