Keeping up on your fitness while traveling can be difficult, especially when you don’t have access to your usual facilities. However, you don’t need any special equipment—or even a designated gym space—to keep up with your workouts when you’re on a trip. There are plenty of effective moves that you can do in your hotel room that work your entire body, and you can fit them in whenever you have some down time.
“Often times, the hotel rooms we stay in don’t have as much space as we would hope for, especially if we plan on working out in it,” says Aaptiv Trainer John Thornhill. “If you can move any furniture around to give yourself more space to sweat, go for it. If not, I always like to use moves that don’t require too much space, but are effective for multiple muscle groups.”
The Aaptiv app is perfect for those days when you can’t make it to a group fitness class or need some guidance. But, if you’re looking for more hotel-specific moves, we’ve got you covered. Here are seven workouts that you can do in your hotel room.
Air Squats
“Squats work nearly 80 different muscles in your body and can be done with or without weights,” says Thornhill. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed outward. Begin by sending your hips back, and then bend your knees as you lower your body toward the ground. “Keep your chest lifted, core tight, and weight in your heels,” advises Thornhill. Try to bring your hamstrings as close to parallel to the ground as possible, then return to standing. If you want to challenge yourself, consider holding a heavy object that you can find in your hotel room.
Leg Raises
“Leg raises are a great workout to help sculpt your lower abdominals,” says Thornhill. Start by laying down with your back flat on the ground and legs straight in the air. Point your toes and slowly lower your legs down until they’re six inches off the ground, then slowly return to your starting position. Keep your lower back flat to the ground.
Bench Dip Reaches
This hotel room move is just like your regular bench dip—but with an added twist. “There is a great emphasis on the triceps and shoulders because of the internal rotation and elbow extension on each repetition,” says Trainer James Shapiro MS, CES, PES. “Perform your normal bench dip, but just before you lockout, lift one arm off the bench briefly before returning the hand back to support your body. Alternate your liftoff after each repetition at the top,” he adds.
Back Lunges
“Lunges work almost your entire leg, and they help strengthen your core and your balance,” says Thornhill. Start in standing position, and bring your right foot back behind you. Your right toes should be on the ground. Then, bend your left knee so that your left hamstring is parallel to the ground, with most of your weight in your front leg. “Drive through your heel and squeeze your glutes, returning back to center,” says Thornhill. “Then, alternate on the other side.”
Alternating V-Ups
“Working on your core while away is tough, but bodyweight motions for high volume typically can work really well for anyone,” says Shapiro. Start on your back with your arms over your head and your legs spread out behind you. “Reach up to the ceiling with one arm and the opposing leg, and return the limbs back under control,” says Shapiro. “Make an effort to lift your shoulder blades up off the ground on every repetition.”
Side-to-Side High Knees
This athletic move combines a bit of leg work with high intensity interval training. “Make sure [that] you have any distance of open floor,” says Shapiro. Begin from one side, moving sideways while bringing your knees up high in a quick manner. “No matter the lateral distance, you have to constantly switch once you hit one side to move back [to] where you came from,” he says.
Plank Walks
“Plank walks will get your heart racing very quickly and require total body strength to do successfully,” says Thornhill. Start in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, feet on the ground. Then bring your right forearm to the ground, quickly followed by your left forearm. Then go back to the starting position by placing your right hand on the ground, followed by your left. “The key is to avoid rocking your hips too much and to keep your core engaged the entire time,” he says.
Although you may not have much to work with in your hotel room, these moves can be done with limited space and time. Try pairing them with some workouts on the Aaptiv app for an added workout.