Top Tips for Working Out While Traveling
Plus Hotel-Friendly Exercises to Try
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF-, RRCA-certified running coach
If you’re working out while traveling, you know the struggle of trying to get in a workout on the go. Many times, just getting in any workout is a step above the usual good intentions that end in too many drinks at the hotel bar or passing out in your hotel room promising yourself you’ll work out the next day. Traveling disrupts our usual workout routines, which can be a challenge. In this guide, I’ll offer my advice as a trainer but especially as a traveler (believe me, I’ve been in the first two situations) to give you realistic and useful tips to help you get in your workouts while traveling.
Related Post: 10 Best Exercises Requiring No Equipment
This guide will cover ways to boost your motivation and improve your chances of getting in all your workouts while traveling. We’ll also go over the best bodyweight exercises that you can do in a small space with no equipment (coming from Brooklyn, I am an expert on this). Because let’s face it, most hotels don’t have the fully functioning gym they advertise, so we can’t always count on equipment.
Healthy eating is another big challenge to working out and staying healthy while traveling, so I’ll also cover tips to help you eat well and stay fueled when you’re working out while traveling.
How to Stick to Working Out While Traveling
If you’re hitting the road, air, or waterways, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and challenges of traveling and feel too tired or stressed to work out. But with a little planning and some positive motivation, you can still set up some fitness routines while traveling and maybe even learn some new moves.
Here are my top tips to help you with working out while traveling:
Have a game plan. How many times have you set out on a trip saying “Oh I’ll definitely stick to my workouts,” and then a few days later found yourself feeling cranky and tired, without having done any workouts? Well, a little planning goes a long way. Be realistic and realize that you may not be able to do the exact same workouts you’re used to but you can still get in some great cardio and strength training. Create a workout plan that takes into account your schedule and environment so you have a much better chance of sticking to it. For help setting S.M.A.R.T. goals that are achievable and specific, check out our article on goal setting.
Prepare a workout. If you’re planning on working out on your own, create a workout you can do without equipment. See the exercises below and our free workout plan for help.
Use your environment. Make use of your environment and go for a run or walk to explore, or try out the gym if there is a functional one in your hotel. Get creative and use what you have. If you’re in a hotel room or short-term rental, try the bodyweight exercises below. You can also use resistance bands, which are great for strength workouts and easy to stuff in a bag without taking up much space. Many resistance bands come in variety back with different resistance levels to suit all fitness backgrounds.
Sweat with others. Get social and sign up for a running tour or fitness class, or get your traveling partner to work out with you. If you’re on vacation with friends or family, enlist them in a group hike or workout and motivate each other.
Have an alternate option. If plans go awry - which they often do while traveling - have a backup workout in mind that you can do easily. It may be a circuit workout or yoga in your hotel room or a walk outside. Whatever you can squeeze in is better than no workout.
Make yourself accountable. Write down your workout plan or share your sweat session stats to stay motivated. It’s easy to let vague workout plans fall by the wayside while traveling so be specific and hold yourself accountable for working out while traveling.
Be flexible (but not too flexible). At the end of the day, flexibility will help you to improvise and adapt to work out while traveling. Allow yourself to adapt to unexpected schedule issues and aim to stay active while being realistic in your expectations.
10 Exercises You Can Do in Your Hotel Room
Try this bodyweight workout to get your heart rate up and work on your strength and mobility while traveling. The first exercises will give you a cardio boost while the rest will improve your full-body strength and conditioning. Do 30 seconds of each exercise and complete the whole set then repeat two times.
Jumping jacks. Begin from a standing position with your feet together. Jump up and land with slightly bent knees and your feet shoulder-width apart, bringing your arms above your head. Jump back to the start position and repeat.
Mountain climbers. Begin from a high plank position and bring one knee toward your chest and alternate for a great core, shoulders, and cardio workout.
Jog in place to warm up. If you need to modify this, walk in place.
Bodyweight squats. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and chest and up. Slowly lower your body, bending your knees and sitting back as if you are sitting in a chair. Keep your head and chest up and rest your weight in your heels. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push up off your heels and return to a standing position. (See Three Best Glue Exercises to Get Results for more on squats).
Push-ups. Lie on the floor on your stomach with your hands planted by your shoulders. Keeping your core engaged and body straight, push up into a high plank position. Lower yourself back to the floor (do not touch the floor for advanced push-ups. For beginners, you can touch the floor between push-ups). To modify the push-ups, do standing push-ups against a wall or do push-ups on your knees with your legs bent instead of resting your weight on your feet.
Seated dips. Use a bench, bed, step, or solid piece of elevated furniture, and begin by sitting on the edge, with your legs out straight in front of you and feet resting on the ground. Plant your hands on each side of your butt and slowly lower your body off the edge and toward the floor, bending at the elbows, keeping your legs extended out straight in front of you. Push yourself back up to a seated position and repeat. You will feel this exercise in your triceps muscles (along the back of your upper arms).
Planks. Lie on the floor on your stomach. Push up onto your forearms with your weight resting in your forearms and toes. Keep your core tight and your body in a straight line. Hold for 30 seconds. To modify your planks, you can bend your knees and rest your weight on your knees and forearms.
Lunges. Begin from a standing position and step forward with one leg, bending at the knee. Plant your foot in front of you with your knee above your ankle. Push off of your front leg, putting your weight into your glutes, and return to a stand. Repeat on the other leg. See How to Do Lunges for Beginners for more lunge tips and modifications.
Side lunges. It’s important to do lateral movements to help your balance and strength in muscles that don't get used a lot when working in a forward-backward plane. To do a side lunge, start from a standing position and set to the side with one leg, bending at the knee. Keep your hips and chest facing forward. Return to a standing position and repeat on the other leg.
Advanced exercise: Burpees. For an extra calorie burn and full-body workout, do burpees. Burpees are basically a push-up, squat and jump combined. For detailed instructions and a video on how to do burpees, check out my burpees post.
Do 30 seconds of each exercise listed with 10 seconds of rest in between. Do 3 sets of these exercises and you will work up a sweat and get in a great hotel workout. For a complete workout plan that you can do on the road, check out my post on How to Do Home Workouts Without Equipment, which has a free workout program you can download.
How to Eat Healthy While Traveling
Working out while traveling is only half the battle of sticking to a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy while on the go can be challenging. Here are some quick tips to help you eat well while traveling and stay energized for your workouts:
Pack healthy snacks. It’s always tempting to grab fast food and unhealthy processed snacks when traveling but plan ahead and bring healthy snacks like fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt, or low-sugar granola bars.
Stay hydrated. Traveling is very dehydrating, especially flying. So drink extra water and carry a reusable water bottle with you so you can always stay hydrated. This will help your workout recovery also.
Use a fridge to store healthy eats like fresh fruits and groceries that you get.
Don’t skip meals as you will most likely end up famished and overeat at the next meal.
Enjoy moderate portions. You don’t have to restrict yourself from trying new foods or things you love while traveling but keep your portion size reasonable. Share big dishes or bring leftovers home to eat the rest later.
When eating out, choose whole foods as much as possible and avoid processed and fast food. Go for fresh pasta, fresh whole grains, vegetable-rich dishes, and foods that have a variety of colors.
Last but not least, enjoy your trip! Remember that working out while traveling should be fun and help you make the most of your trip. Staying active will help you have more energy while boosting your mood.
I hope these tips help. Find me at @Runstreet Instagram and tag me in your workouts to get cheered on. Bon voyage, and happy sweating!😊
Related Posts: How to Do Home Workouts Without Equipment, How to Set Up Your Home Gym, Best Women’s Muscle-Building Workout You Can Do at Home
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.
