Exercising in Your Hotel Room: Staying Fit and Avoiding Germs While You Travel

Travel is back! Whether you’re heading out of town for a work function or for a much-needed vacation, you’re finally able to get out into the world a bit again. That being said, the threat of bacteria, viruses, and germs hasn’t gone anywhere. You want to stay healthy while out of town, which means a focus on eating right, getting eight hours of sleep a night, and exercising.

In years past this may have meant a trip to the hotel gym in the mornings, but that’s not a very healthy idea right now. In fact, many hotel gyms are still closed so it’s not a possibility anyway! What are your options? Do you have to miss out on days of exercises or weigh the odds of coming into contact with germs in order to lift weights? You have a third, and much better option: to workout in your hotel room!

In fact, you can get a great morning workout in your hotel room in only about 20 or 30 minutes. Your goal should be to hit four types of exercises in your routine:

Legs: quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves

Push: chest, shoulders, triceps

Pull: back, biceps, forearms

Core: abs and lower back

It’s easier to do than it may sound. Just to prove it, we put together a potential workout routine for you. Feel free to change it up as you see fit. The key is to get the right workout for you and your specific health goals!

Step #1 Warm up

Always start with a warm up! This is a great way to get your core temperature up and muscles loose in order to get the most from the next few steps. This could be:

Level 1: Sun Salutations

Level 2: Jumping jacks 25 reps

Level 3: Push-ups 10 reps and lunges 10 reps

Step #2 Squats

You’re all warmed up and it’s time to get your fitness on! We recommend you begin with your legs. You don’t need a leg press or even a treadmill. You have what you need to work your legs with you in your hotel room, your own body!

Level 1: Body weight squats 20 reps

Level 2: Jumping squats 25 reps

Level 3: Burpees  20 reps

If you’re not familiar with how to do a burpee and why it’s way harder than just a jumping squat, watch this YouTube video for help.

Step #3 Push-ups

Whew! You’ve gotten your heart rate up and your legs a good workout. It’s time to bring your arms into the action. 

Level 1: Incline Push-ups 15 reps 

To properly do these, which are a bit easier than a “regular” push-up, put your feet on the floor and hands on the edge of the bed or desk.

Level 2: Push-ups 20 reps

Level 3: Decline Push-ups 20 reps 

This is the opposite of the easy option, making it the harder option! Put your feet up on the bed or desk chair and lower your torso down to the ground.

Step #4 Rows

After a water break, it’s time to pull. For these, your luggage can play the part of your weights. 

Level 1: One-arm luggage rows 10 reps 

With each arm, use your suitcase as your weight and bring it up to your armpit. 

Level 2: Inverted rows 10 reps

You’ll need to hang down for this one. Experts recommend using the desk in your hotel room.

Level 3: Inverted bodyweight rows 10 reps

To get a better idea of this move, picture yourself in a pushup position and then turn over. Instead of your hands on the ground, your arms stay extended, and you grasp the bar above you.

Step #5 Crunches

It’s time to finish off your workout routine with some quality core exercise. We saved the best for last! 

Level 1: Reverse crunches 10 reps

Reverse crunches allow you to keep your upper body resting on the floor, while still targeting your entire core. It's essentially the opposite movement of a standard crunch. In a reverse crunch, you lift your knees up towards your chest, instead of lifting your shoulders and neck off the floor towards your knees.

Level 2: V Ups 15 reps

A V Up involves sitting on the floor and positioning the body in the shape of the letter “V.” The key is to never let your feet touch the ground. It’s a lot harder than it sounds!

Level 3: Bicycle crunches 15 reps 

One of the best ways to make ab workouts harder is to slow down the speed of the movement. These bicycle crunches should be slow and targeted; you’re not kicking like crazy!

After your workout, you should be hot, sweaty, and feeling proud. Good for you! You didn’t take a day off, and your dedication is sure to pay off when it comes to your overall health. Always remember to stretch afterwards so you are able to avoid any tight, sore muscles. After this routine, you’ll be ready to take a shower and tackle the rest of your day. You’ll find yourself with more energy throughout the day and sleeping better at night. The best part is that you didn’t have to risk coming into contact with any germs to get a great workout in!