Traveling is one of the most beautiful experiences you can enjoy in life. There’s a saying by Ralph Waldo Emerson that says – life is a journey, not a destination.
When traveling becomes part of your current lifestyle, it can be pretty challenging to maintain your fitness simultaneously.
If you’re someone who typically works out as part of their routine, it can be challenging to work out when you constantly hop from one hotel to another.
However, there are some bodyweight exercises you can continue doing even when traveling.
In the following, we’ll be discussing everything you need to know about the 6 exercises you can do in your hotel room.
1. Squat jumps
Squat jumps are a great exercise when you’re looking for a cardio and muscle-building move all wrapped up in one. This exercise targets your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and leg muscles.
It also gets your heart pumping and works on your endurance. Jump squats are indeed one of the most underrated yet effective exercises that benefits your balance, mobility, endurance, and muscles.
You can do jump squats as a repetition-based move or as part of a high-intensity interval training session. To begin doing jump squats, start in a squat position similar to as if you’re sitting on a chair with your hips out.
After which, jump and go back to the squat position. You can do this for as many repetitions or seconds as you’d like.
2. Tricep dips
Tricep dips are among the best exercises for your upper arm, particularly your triceps. All you need for this exercise is a chair, which you can find in almost every hotel room.
Compared to jump squats, this isn’t a cardio exercise but focuses more on building your muscle as well as endurance. If you don’t have access to a chair, you can also do tricep dips on the floor or your hotel bed.
Start by doing tricep dips by pressing your palms to the chair or floor, whichever one you will use. Your position should then be similar to a reverse plank, with your elbows between a 45 to 90-degree angle.
Lower yourself until your hips are just an inch above the ground and return to your starting position. You also should be careful not to lock your elbows to refrain from injuring yourself.
3. Burpees
There are mixed feelings about this exercise; some people love it, and others dislike it. For a bodyweight exercise, it’s pretty challenging – even if you’re doing it in your hotel room.
However, it’s a great full-body workout that targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Burpees target your arms, legs, core, quads, and glutes.
It’s an exercise often seen in HIIT workouts for the reason that it builds your stamina, endurance, and strength. To start doing burpees, begin by squatting down to the floor in preparation to go into a full plank.
Afterward, do a push-up and return to your squat position, where you stand and jump. Do this for as many repetitions as you can or if you’re doing a HIIT workout, do this for as long as you can.
4. Luggage rows
If you’re someone who prefers weighted exercises to bodyweight ones, you’re going to love this. Since you don’t have access to your typical dumbbells, the best alternative is your luggage.
You’d basically be doing an alternative variation for dumbbell rows, which target your back and arm muscles. The best thing about this is that it’s a muscle-building exercise, so you’d really be toning your back.
After all, your back muscles are one of the most overlooked parts of your body, so it’s essential that you incorporate this as part of your workout routine. To begin, start by bending your knees and also your back.
Your body should be in a similar position as the starting position of Romanian deadlifts. Hold your luggage on both ends and start by pulling it closer to you.
Imagine it as your dumbbells, so you should be moving similar to dumbbell rows. Do this for as many repetitions as you can.
5. Reverse crunches
If you’re looking for an exercise that targets your core abs, particularly your lower abs. We know just how frustrating it is to target your lower abs, which is why reverse crunches are such a vital bodyweight exercise.
To make this move even more challenging, you can even use any object as a light weight from your luggage. It could be a water bottle, tumbler, or anything really.
To start doing reverse crunches, begin lying down on the floor with your legs in a 90-degree position. Basically, you’d be starting in a position similar to the Dead bug exercise – another core move.
Afterward, begin lifting your hips using your core to activate your ab muscles and then return to your starting position.
After several repetitions, you should feel the burn in your lower ab muscles, otherwise known as your rectus abdominis – the muscle for your six-pack abs.
6. Mountain climbers
Mountain climbers is another exercise that acts both as a cardio and muscle-building exercise. Like burpees, it also targets your entire body, making it perfect for working out in a hotel room.
Mountain climbers target your arms, core, legs, quads, and glutes explicitly. To start with this exercise, position yourself in a plank position. So you should be on all fours, facing the floor.
Afterward, begin moving your knee towards your chest, one leg after another. It should look like you’re running but facing the floor. Feel free to do this for as many repetitions as you’d like.
In conclusion, these are all the exercises you can do while you’re in a hotel room. These are all a mixture of strength and cardio workouts, so feel free to do a routine you’re most comfortable with.
Even if you’re in a hotel, that doesn’t mean you can’t move your body and get physically active as well. With these exercises mentioned above, you can have the best moments when traveling while also keeping yourself fit.
Just remember to complement your workouts with your diet, such as the recipes in a Paleo book as nutrition is also key to achieving your fitness goals.
