Stay Active With This Hotel Workout
Many of us love to travel and we also love to exercise. Sometimes the two can interfere with one another if you don’t have a plan. Next time you want to get in some exercise while traveling try this simple hotel workout and stay in the groove – no more excuses!
Need a Hotel Workout?
This workout is a great way to keep yourself in good shape if you tend to spend most of the days switching from one hotel to another, traveling around the world or across your own country either for business or pleasure.
In fact, many constant business travelers complain that they hardly have time to exercise because all they do is go to the airport to catch a flight in the middle of the night, and once they reach their destination, they head for the hotel they are staying and due to jet lag all they can do is go to bed – understandable.
Or others claim they really, really want to be more physically active, but there is no gym at the hotel or they don’t have the proper equipment or [insert another excuse]. Enough with excuses.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
And this workout proves that you can exercise whenever you want without equipment. You only need your own body weight! Here it goes:
[As always make sure you are cleared by a physician before beginning any exercise program – no matter how simple it may seem.]
Warming Up
Stretch first thing before the workout. It will not only prevent injuries but also make any physical activity much easier. Your bones and muscles will loosen up and exercising will be a cinch.
Before you move into your training session, you should warm up too. A warm-up generally consists of a few exercises to get you started. The purpose is to increase your temperature and prime your muscles, that is why it is called warming up. Here is what you can do:
- 15 jumping jacks
- 20 leg raises (10 for each leg)
- 10 lunges (5 for each leg)
- 10 hip raises
- 10 push-ups
- 10 bodyweight squats (use a bottle of water or a heavy object)
It is important that you do each warm-up exercise without stopping and one after another. When you do this, it is time to begin the real workout. The whole workout should take 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how much time you are ready to “sacrifice”.
You should be able to do as many circuits of the workout as you can, but it is important to know that you shouldn’t get carried away, especially if you are a beginner. In time, you will adjust and learn to do it at your own pace.
Beginners
- 5 push-ups (or as many as you can) – next time aim for 7
- 10 bodyweight squats (use a heavy object)
- 20 one-arm rows (use a heavy object as your weight, e.g. your suitcase) – 10 for each arm
- 10-15 crunches (or as many as you can) – next time aim for more
Intermediate
- 20-25 crunches (or more)
- 7-8 inverted rows (use your bed or desk) like the “pull-ups” seen here.
- 15 push-ups
- 20 overhead squats
Advanced
- 35 crunches
- 10 inverted rows
- 20 push-ups – challenge yourself to do them with your feet up on a chair
- 20 jumping squats – burst out of your squat jumping as high as you can straight-up
Wrap-Up
During and after the hotel workout, make sure you drink enough water to keep your body hydrated. When you do the last exercise, spend a few minutes walking around the room to normalize your heart rate and cool down.
Finish off by stretching.
If you did it right, your muscles will probably be sore the next few days. Don’t let this discourage you to keep on training!
- Tips for Post-Workout Recovery - May 8, 2015
- The Ultimate Room Hotel Workout - April 3, 2015
- The Effects of Stress-Relieving Workouts - February 6, 2015
