You have finally made it! After spending time planning your trip and traveling to the destination you’re ready for vacation! Now it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. While it’s healthy to take a vacation, it is also important to stay healthy on vacation. One of the best ways is through regular exercise. According to Harvard Health, several studies have found that regular exercise can help you sleep better, reduce stress, control your weight, brighten your mood, and sharpen your mental functioning, in addition to many other health benefits. What happens to your exercise routine when you go on vacation? Not all hotels have gyms, exercise equipment is too hard to pack, working out takes up too much time, and there is not enough space to work out in the hotel room… these are the most common challenges to exercising on vacation.
Common Challenges to Exercising on Vacation
- Not all hotels have gyms
- Exercise equipment is too hard to pack
- Working out takes up too much time
- Not enough space to work out in the hotel room
As an athlete, I have spent many of my weekends in hotel rooms traveling to various competitions around the country. This experience has helped me develop an exercise routine that can be done in any space. Trust me, you can do a lot with a little space and little to no equipment. Follow these tips and sample exercise routines to help develop your routine and stay healthy on vacation. Start every workout with a warm-up and end with a cooldown! Warm-ups and cooldowns typically involve doing physical activity at a slower pace and reduced intensity than the planned exercises. It is helpful to warm up with movements similar to those you will perform with your exercises. According to the Mayo Clinic, warming up helps prepare your body for aerobic activity. A warm-up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles. Warming up may also help reduce muscle soreness and lessen your risk of injury. A cooldown does the reverse, allowing for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure.
Sample 5-minute warmup:
Perform the following for 30 to 60 seconds each.
- Jumping jacks (low-impact option – step out to the side instead of jumping)
- High knees & back kicks
- Dynamic hamstrings stretch
- Arm circles
- Inchworm to pushup
- Mini lunge with trunk rotation
Sample cooldown:
Take a walk to the ice machine or explore the hotel for a few minutes after your workout is finished and then spend 5-10 minutes stretching.
Cardio-focused Workout:
To challenge the cardiovascular system, try to minimize the number of rest breaks taken between exercises. Perform each exercise for 60 seconds and then move straight into the next one. Perform 2-5 sets of each exercise.
1) Bodyweight squats
- Increase the challenge by doing squat jumps
- If not ready for full squats yet, do partial or mini squats
2) Mountain climbers
- Increase the challenge by doing wide mountain climbers (bring your feet up to the outside of your hands)
- Make it easier by slowing down the pace or by placing your hands on an elevated surface such as the bed or a chair.
3) Lateral hops
- Increase the challenge by performing single-leg hops
- Low impact option – perform lateral stepovers instead
4) Burpees
- Increase the challenge by doing a single-leg burpee with a pushup
- Make it easier by taking out the push-up or by walking the feet back instead of jumping
5) Inchworm
- Increase the challenge by adding a pushup to the end
- Make it easier by placing your hands on an elevated surface and walking your feet back instead
6) Jumping jacks
- Increase the challenge by performing star jumps (squat down and touch the floor then jump up with arms and feet extended out)
- Low impact option – take away the jump and step the feet out
Strength-Focused Workout:
It is essential to focus on form with strength-based exercises. Perform these exercises at a slower, controlled pace to challenge the muscles. Be sure to allow for rest breaks between sets so that you can maintain good form. Aim for 10-20 reps for each set and do 2-3 sets for each exercise.
1) Bodyweight squats
- Increase the challenge by holding the squat position for 5-10 seconds each rep or by performing a pulse squat
- If you are having a hard time with a regular squat try performing a mini squat or wall sit instead
2) Pushups
- Elevate your feet on a surface such as a chair to increase the challenge.
- Place your hands on the edge of an elevated surface such as a counter or the wall to decrease the challenge.
3) Plank
- Increase the challenge by adding in shoulder taps or doing a side-plank
- Decrease the challenge by keeping your feet on the floor and placing your arms on the edge of the bed.
4) Lunges
- Increase the challenge by doing a pulse lunge or a lunge jump
- Decrease the challenge by doing a partial or mini lunge
5) Triceps dips on chair
- Increase the challenge by walking your feet farther away from the chair
- Decrease the challenge by moving your feet closer to the chair
6) Burpees
- Increase the challenge by doing a single-leg burpee with a pushup
- Make it easier by taking out the push-up or by walking the feet back instead of jumping
Looking to add more of a challenge to your workout?
Here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind.
- Pick exercises from both the cardio and strength workouts to give yourself a full-body challenge.
- Pack some resistance bands or a jump rope. These do not take up much luggage space and do not require a lot of space to be used either.
- Bags, backpacks, and suitcases make great weights. You can add and remove items to adjust the weight based on your workout.
- Take some time to stretch on your rest days to recover faster from all your travel activities.
Have an injury or experiencing pain that limits you from completing one of these workout routines? Or are you looking for a program that is more specific to your individual needs? Schedule a Complimentary Injury Assessment at ProActive today and one of our therapists can help put together a program that is right for you.
