Workout Ideas for Any Trip
No matter where your travels take you, keeping up your workout routine can be a challenge. If you’re anything like me, you want to stay fit and healthy while traveling whenever possible. But sometimes, it’s hard to stick to a workout routine while abroad.
That’s why I’ve put together a list of my favorite workouts for any trip, big or small. I’ve also added where you can find some of the best workouts while you’re abroad.
I’ve got you covered, from simple workouts that require no equipment to exercises you can do in hotel rooms, airports, or on road trips! So, let’s get moving while also enjoying our vacation!
Summary
Road Trip Workout
Believe it or not, a road trip is a perfect time to get in some exercise. You can use any trip as an opportunity to explore new places and get active. Here are some general workout ideas for your next road trip:
Before you hit the road, pack a gym bag with everything you need for a good workout. Include items like a yoga mat, water bottle, resistance bands, or light dumbbells. I have an entire post dedicated to travel-friendly exercise equipment.
You can easily use your car as an impromptu gym. Park in a rest stop or scenic lookout, and do a few sets of squats, lunges, and push-ups. You can also do tricep dips by placing your hands on the edge of your car seat or on your back bumper.
Plan your route around interesting places to walk or run. Explore a new town by looping around the block or take a nature hike in a state park.
Quick Road Trip Workout:
5 Rounds of
20 Air Squats
20 Walking Lunges
20 Alternating Split Squat Jumps
10 Squat Jumps
Hotel Room Workout
A hotel room can be the perfect place to get in a great workout. There are a variety of exercises you can do right in your room, with no equipment required.
Many hotels have fitness rooms and gyms for use, but if you find yourself at a hotel with no gym in sight- don’t worry. There are still plenty of ways to get in a good, quick workout. Here are just a few ideas to help get you started:
For a full-body workout, try doing push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. You can also use your furniture to help you work on different muscle groups.
For instance, chair dips are a great way to tone your arms and propping your feet up on the edge of the bed while doing crunches will help tone your abdominal muscles. If you’re looking for a cardio workout, try jogging in place or going up and down the hotel stairs.
If you want to add some strength training to your routine, try using resistance bands or travel-friendly dumbbells. There are also plenty of bodyweight exercises, yoga flows, and Pilates that help tone muscles- no equipment necessary. With a bit of creativity, the possibilities are endless!
Quick Hotel Room Workout:
5 Rounds of
15 Air Squats (add some dumbbells or even your travel bag to your shoulders for extra weight)
15 Sit-Ups
15 Burpees
15 Push-Ups
Airport Workout
Most people dread airport layovers, but with just a little effort, they can be an opportunity to get in a great workout. For those short on time, simply walking around the terminal or doing some jumping jacks between gates can be an effective way to get the heart rate up.
For those with a little more time to kill, there are usually fitness rooms located in airports that offer a variety of equipment and even workout classes. Or, for the true fitness enthusiast, there are often open spaces near gates where cardio and bodyweight exercises can be done.
Try a gentle yoga flow if you’re looking for something a little more low-key. Some simple stretches and deep breathing can help you relax during a long day of travel.
So next time you have a long layover, don’t spend it glued to your phone or eating unhealthy airport food – use it as an opportunity to get the body moving!
See also:
Quick Airport Workout:
5 rounds of
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Jump Squats
20 Alternating Forward Lunges
20 Arm Circles (Each Direction)
No-Equipment Exercises You Can do Anywhere
There are plenty of trip workout ideas that don’t require any equipment. Here are just some of the no-equipment exercises you can do literally anywhere:
Lunges
Lunges are a great way to work your legs, glutes, and core. To do a lunge, stand with your feet together and take a large step forward with one leg. Lower your body until your front knee is at a 90-degree angle and your back knee almost touches the ground. Push off with your front leg to return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Squats
Squats are another great exercise for toning your legs, glutes, and core. To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body down as if you were going to sit in a chair. Keep your weight in your heels, and make sure your knees don’t go past your toes. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Push-ups
Push-ups are a great all-over body exercise that targets your chest, shoulders, arms, and core. To do a push-up, get down on all fours placing your hands just slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your arms and legs and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the ground. Pause, then push yourself back up into a straight position.
Sit-Ups, burpees, jumping jacks, and so much more!
Quick No-Equipment Workouts While Traveling:
5 Rounds
10 Inchworm Push-Ups
10 Knee Drivers (Mountain Climbers)
10 Reverse Lunges
10 Squat Jumps
5 Rounds
30 seconds Bear Crawls
30 seconds Plank Knee Taps
30 seconds Burpees
30 seconds Air Squat to Alternating Reverse Lunge
5 Rounds
20 High Knees
20 Alternating Lateral Lunges
20 Plank Shoulder Taps
20 Jumping Jacks
Best Workout Apps for Traveling Abroad, Digital Nomads, and While on Vacation
Crush It by Senada Greca
Cost: $19/month
Crush It is a fitness and health app curated by Senada Greca. The app features unique, travel-friendly workouts that feature both bodyweight exercises and exercises utilizing gym equipment. There are also yoga and HIIT routines available in the app.
Spartan Fit
Cost: Free for the basic program; paid subscription to assess more content and workout programs.
Spartan Fit is an app created by Spartan. This app features intense workouts for those interested in obstacle course race training or those interested in more challenging workout styles. You can choose between no-equipment workouts and gym workouts.
MapMyRun
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Running is free and can be done anywhere, so it’s the perfect exercise to do when you’re traveling. With MapMyRun, you can track everything from your duration, distance, calories burned, and pace. You can view your workout history and compare past workouts with all your runs logged. One of the benefits of MapMyRun is that it uses the built-in GPS on your phone to track your run and displays where you are always on a map. So, if you haven’t entirely memorized your route in a new city yet, MapMyRun will show you where you are in case you get lost.
Seven
Cost: Free with in-app purchases to additional workouts
Seven is a great travel workout app as it takes you through challenging 7-minute workouts using only bodyweight exercises. Don’t let the time fool you – each training has been scientifically designed to provide the maximum workout in the shortest time. You can even create workouts tailored to your needs and preferences. The app is used by over 40 million people and is rated 4.7/5 stars in the app store.
Best YouTube Channels for Workouts While Traveling
Boho Beautiful Yoga
Boho Beautiful is a yoga and conscious lifestyle brand created by Juliana Spicoluk and Mark Spicoluk. Their video content includes yoga flows of varying durations that can be done anywhere, Pilates workouts and no-equipment, low impact workouts.
I love their videos because the routines feature stunning backdrops of all the destinations they’ve traveled to. Interested in doing a yoga flow in Cusco, Peru? Check out this video.
PopSugar Fitness
PopSugar Fitness features basic workouts that can be done anywhere to help you on your road to healthy living, weight management, and stress relief. Looking for a 30-minute no-equipment full-body toning workout? Check this out.
Sydney Cummings
Sydney Cummings films daily at home HITT, low-impact, and minimal equipment workouts. Sydney is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. This is one of my favorite go-to YouTube workout channels for some of the best and most unique workouts!
Yoga With Adriene
Yoga With Adriene creates high-quality free yoga videos for all levels, bodies, and souls! Adriene’s channel is a library of free yoga videos that allows you to find a practice that suits your mood, relieves your mind and body, and cultivates self-love. She has an entire playlist dedicated to yoga while traveling.
MadFit
MadFit is a Youtube channel created by Maddie Lymburner, focusing on real-time, gym-free workouts for all fitness levels. Many of the workouts on the channel require little or no exercise equipment. She specializes in dance, quick, and low-impact workouts.
Fitness Blender
Created by a husband-and-wife team, Daniel and Kelli, Fitness Blender is a channel that features over 600 free full-length workout videos. Need a no-equipment, super intense yet quick workout? Check out one of my favorite videos that gets my heart rate pumping here.
So, whether you’re on a road trip, in a hotel room, or stuck at the airport, there are plenty of ways to get a quick workout in. I hope you find this post helpful and keeps you on track towards your fitness goals while traveling.
