Best Travel Workouts Without Equipment
Staying healthy on a daily basis is difficult enough, but trying to stay fit while traveling can feel downright impossible.
In fact, according to a study done by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 15 percent of American adults don’t engage in any leisure-time physical activity.
Which makes staying active on the road all the more important — and difficult.
But it doesn’t have to be that way!
There are plenty of exercises you can do without any equipment at all. And, even better, these workouts can be done in small spaces like your hotel room or even in an airport terminal.
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Table of Contents
Cardio to Get Your Heart Pumping
Whether you’re running along the beach or doing some interval training in your hotel room, cardio is a great way to get your heart rate up and burn some calories.
And there are plenty of ways to do a cardio trip workout, without any equipment at all.
Here are a few of our favorites:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a type of cardio that alternates between periods of high-intensity activity and periods of low-intensity activity or rest.
You can do HIIT anywhere, anytime, with no equipment necessary. Just make sure you warm up first!
Burpees
Burpees are a full-body exercise that are sure to get your heart rate up. Start standing, then drop down into a squat position with your hands on the ground.
Kick your feet back so you end up in a push-up position, then quickly return to the squat position. Finally, jump up as high as you can.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute.
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Mountain Climbers
This exercise is similar to a burpee, but without the jump at the end. Start in a push-up position, then bring your right knee up towards your chest while keeping your left leg extended behind you.
Quickly switch legs, bringing your left knee up and extending your right leg. Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute.
Taking classes online
Another way to get cardio without any equipment is to take an online fitness class. These days, there are plenty of fitness studios that offer live-streaming and on-demand classes that you can do from anywhere in the world.
Beachbody on Demand, for example, offers classes online that you can view on your smartphone, laptop or T.V with a connected streaming device.
These work outs can be done in your hotel room, AirBnB, or even outside if you have a quiet space.
Classes include: TurboFire, INSANITY, 21 Day Fix, yoga and more.
If you’re traveling with a partner, then try teaming up for a bootcamp style workout to get your heart rate pumping.
Yoga and Stretching
If you’re looking for a more low-key workout, then try some yoga or stretching. Yoga is a great way to relax your mind and body, while also getting a little bit of exercise in.
There are plenty of yoga apps and online classes that you can do in your hotel room or even in a park.
Yoga is a great way to de-stress after a long day of travel, and it’s also a great workout for your muscles and flexibility.
Some of our favorite yoga apps include:
Yoga Studio by Gaiam, Daily Yoga, Down Dog, and Pocket Yoga.
If you’re not into yoga, then try some simple stretching exercises. Stretching is important for maintaining flexibility and preventing injuries.
It’s also a great way to wind down after a long day of travel.
Strength Training
You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to get a good strength workout. There are plenty of bodyweight exercises that you can do to work your muscles.
Bodyweight exercises are exercises that use your own body weight as resistance, rather than dumbbells, kettlebells or other types of weights.
Here are a few of our favorite bodyweight exercises:
Push-ups
Push-ups are a great way to work your chest, shoulders and triceps. If you’re struggling with traditional push-ups, then try doing them against a wall or elevated surface. Push-ups from your knees can help to build up your strength until you can do them on your toes.
To perform push-ups, start by supporting your weight on your hands and feet/knees. Lower your chest and core by bending your elbows. Lift your body back up to the starting position to complete each repetition.
Rows, Chin-ups and Pull-ups
Rows and pull-ups work your back and biceps. To do a row, find something sturdy that you can hold on to like a bench, table or even a horizontal railing.
Place your feet about hip-width apart with a slight bend in your knees. Lean back, keeping your back straight and core engaged as you row yourself closer to the object. Slowly lower yourself back down and repeat until you feel the burn.
Pull-ups and chin-ups work similar muscles, but instead use an overhead stationary pole or tree branch, you’ll use your own body weight or add a resistance band to help with this challenging move.
Pull yourself up until your eyes are level to the bar or higher, then lower yourself back to hanging position.
If you can’t do a full pull-up, try starting with negatives (lowering yourself down slowly after pulling up) or jump ups to help build your strength.
Squats
Squats are a great way to shape your quads, hamstrings and glutes. To do a proper squat, start with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly out. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, sit down and back like you’re going to sit in a chair.
Once your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as close as you can get them), push through your heels to return to standing position.
Lunges
Lunges are a great way to tone your legs, glutes and core. To do a lunge, start by standing with feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one leg, keeping your back straight and planted firmly into the ground.
Once you feel the muscles engaged you can push back to the starting position. After a few sets of lunges you’ll know how to get toned legs.
Crunches and Plank
When people think of fitness, having a lean midsection is often at the forefront of their minds. If you want to tone your stomach, then crunches and planks are great exercises to try.
Crunches target the abdominals while planks work the entire core muscle group including the obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis and more.
To do a crunch, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
Keeping your chin off your chest, curl your torso up towards your hips until you feel a squeeze in your abs then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
To do a plank, start by lying face down on the ground with your elbows bent. With your feet hip-width apart, push yourself off the ground so that only your toes and forearms are touching the ground.
Keep your core tight, back straight and hips down as you hold that position for thirty seconds to a minute or longer if possible.
Arm Curls and Arm Extensions
If you want to know how to toned arms but don’t have equipment then arm curls and arm extensions are exercises you can do.
To do an arm curl, start by standing with feet hip-width apart and abs engaged. Let your arms hang down at your sides with a slight bend in the elbow.
Curl your hands towards your shoulders, keeping your upper arms close to your body and elbows in. Slowly lower back. You can use canned goods, water bottles or resistance bands to add weight.
To do an arm extension, start by standing with feet hip-width apart and abs engaged. Let your arms hang down at your sides with a slight bend in the elbow.
Keeping your upper arms close to your body and elbows in, extend your hands out in front of you. Slowly lower back to the starting position. Similar to arm curls, you can use items around the house to add weight if needed.
Doing bodyweight exercises is a great way to stay in shape while traveling. With a little creativity, you can get a full-body workout without any equipment. These moves will tone your arms, legs, glutes and core.
And since they can be done anywhere, they’re the perfect trip workout you can do in your hotel room, at the park, on the beach or anywhere in between. So next time you’re packing for a trip, don’t forget to pack your workout clothes!
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