Needless to say, the expat life-style and healthy living don’t exactly go hand-in-hand, and to say that expat life here in Phnom Penh is no exception would be an understatement.

That said, there’s no reason why you can’t treat your body like a temple at least once a week to counter balance the excesses of work and play, as there’s plenty of fitness centres to choose from:

Cambodiana Hotel, situated on the on the riverside just south of the Royal Palace, has a 12m pool overlooking the Tonle Sap River, two recently refurbished astro-turf tennis courts and a well-equipped air conditioned gym with personal trainers on hand. The hotel complex also features Frangipani Spa which offers a range of healthcare treatments and pampering options for those who need to unwind after a hard week at the office. www.hotelcambodiana.com

Fitness One at Himawari Hotel Apartments on the riverside near the Old National Assembly has a fully equipped gymnasium and offers a wide range of group classes or personal programmes with professional trainers. The hotel apartment complex also has decent tennis courts in a scenic setting. www.himawarihotel.com/rest-relax

The fitness centre on the third floor of the Intercontinental Hotel on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard has a spa with sauna & massage facilities and an air conditioned gymnasium with all the usual modern equipment. It overlooks an open-air terrace which Intercontinental claims imitates classic Angkor architecture…. with pool and bar – both equally inviting and distracting when your trying work out in the gym! www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/hotel-features/amenities-services/phnompenh

Muscle & Fitness is a small air conditioned gym which has opened up on Street 95 in the BKK One area. The gym is kitted out with all the equipment you’re likely to require for a good work out and the changing rooms and showers are nice enough. Despite not having a pool, the $2 a session fee still makes this gym great value for money.

South of the Royal Palace on the riverside, Namarda Sports Club at the Imperial Garden Villa & Hotel complex is one of Phnom Penh’s larger (and arguably blander) fitness clubs. There’s a 20m salt-water pool with children’s pool adjoined, a fully-equipped air conditioned gym, tennis courts and a sauna facility. The poolside café and cocktail bar serve a good range of food and drinks and the membership fees are family friendly. www.imperialgarden-hotel.com/sports-club

Paddy’s Gym on Street 428, just East of Wat Tuol Tompong, is an authentic boxing gym fitted with a proper ring. Whilst it’s definitely no-frills (what would you expect from a boxing gym?!), the equipment is of good quality and you can’t fault $3 for an all-day-pass. The gym also does kick boxing classes and personalised training. www.paddysgym.com

Phnom Penh Hotel on Monivong Boulevard has a health club with a decent sized gymnasium kitted out with a good mix of static fitness equipment and free weights and also offers aerobic classes and Tae-Kwon-Do classes with professional instructors. Visitors can pamper themselves at the hotel spa and beauty salon or wind down in the tropical sun at the outside pool and cocktail bar. www.phnompenhhotel.com

The Place which has recently opened off Sihanouk Boulevard, near Independence Monument, caters for Phnom Penh’s rich and powerful, and is priced accordingly! Its facilities include a 25m pool, a vast air conditioned gym with top of the range equipment, tennis courts and a lavish restaurant & bar.

VIP Sports Club is situated off Norodom Boulevard, very near to the Thai Embassy and features everything that you would expect at a sports club in the West: gym, tennis courts, large swimming pool, sauna/steam rooms, aerobics classes and massage. Although the gym isn’t air conditioned, it is well ventilated by numerous large fans. The poolside café provides free wifi and offers a basic menu of food and drinks, including deep fried chicken and ice cold beer for the more discerning fitness freak! Membership packages are reasonable considering VIP’s comprehensive range of facilities. www.vipsportclub.com.