Bodyweight Workout Routine For Travelers

Exercise is important for all of us. But when we travel, we often don’t get the opportunity to have a proper workout. If you want to stay in shape during a longer trip, consider doing this bodyweight workout routine for travelers.

The routine

There is a simple bodyweight routine that takes approximately 20 minutes – it covers the main muscles of the body, and it isn’t too exhausting, so you can do it every day. It won’t allow you to add too much muscle, but it will allow you to keep what you have, and it will allow you to burn some fat in case you have been eating a lot of tasty stuff on the trip.

Start out by stretching properly.

Do a plank for as long as you can.

Do a set of bodyweight squats – as many as you can perform.

Perform a set of normal pushups.

Then do a set of lunges.

Back to pushups – but this time you’ll do wide-grip pushups.

Perform a set of calf raises.

Then it is time for the last set of pushups, this time close-grip pushups.

Do a set of jump squats. As many as you can. This will really get the heart rate going!

Finish with a set of sit-ups until failure.

Stretch out and continue enjoying your day.

The routine can be done inside a hotel room or outside in a park.

If you are into cardio, you can also decide to go for a run at some point. This is a great way to discover a new place, as you get to see the area while you exercise. But this is not necessarily a part of the routine.

Benefits of bodyweight exercises

The benefits of bodyweight exercises are that you can perform them everywhere, you can do high-rep sets to maintain your muscles, and it gets the blood flow going. Any type of exercising makes the body healthier, so if you do some movements while you travel, you might have a lower risk of getting sick than you otherwise would.

As for the particular routine detailed in the section above, the main benefits are that it is a relatively quick routine and that it covers the majority of the body. The pushups, performed with three different hand positions, will train your chest, your triceps and your shoulders. The squats and lunges will train your legs and butt, while the calf raises will train the calves. The plank and the sit-ups train the abs and the core. With all those bodyparts being covered, the only ones that don’t get directly trained are the biceps and the backs. But if you bring some basic equipment, you can add a few exercises to train these bodyparts as well.

Equipment you can bring for your trip

It is impossible to bring weights when you travel, but there are some smaller pieces of equipment you can bring for your trip.

Resistance rubber bands take up almost no space and they can be used everywhere. With rubber bands you can do countless exercises, so it will add a lot of depth to your routine. Furthermore, the elastic bands are cheap, so if you want to exercise while you travel, it makes great sense to pick up some rubber bands!

A hand gripper is also easy to fit into a bag. With this piece of equipment you can train your grip and your forearms.

An ab wheel can be used if you have a lot of space in your suitcase.

Aside from what you bring yourself, you can consider staying at hotels with gyms. These gyms aren’t always great, but they do give you access to more traditional gym equipment.

Eating healthy while you travel

Here is where it gets hard for a lot of people.

When we travel, we often tend to consume a lot of restaurant meals, snacks and drinks. This isn’t the healthiest way to live, but it is an essential part of traveling. Whenever we go somewhere, we should have a good time, and we should try out the local cuisine.

In other words, it is very difficult to maintain a healthy diet when traveling – and for most people, it shouldn’t be the goal.

The great thing about doing a quick bodyweight workout every day is that it allows us to burn some of those extra calories and make up for at least some of the big meals.

If you really care a lot about your health, you could try to order healthy food every time you eat out and only stick to healthy snacks. But for most people it shouldn’t be necessary – just enjoy your trip, get some nice foods and drinks, make sure you move your body, and don’t think about it too much. You can always diet when you get home.

When to skip a workout

Traveling can be exhausting in itself, so you might not always have the energy to do a workout when you are on the road.

If you have walked a long distance, for example if you are going sightseeing in some city, this can basically count as exercising. Walking is great, and if you have exceeded 10,000 steps in a day, you are already getting the movement you need. In that case, doing the bodyweight workout routine is not quite as important, and it would make sense to skip it that particular day.

So it does depend on the nature of your trip. If it is an active trip with sightseeing in a city, hiking in nature, or swimming every day on the beach, you will be just fine without doing any form of exercise. But if you are not taking an active trip, consider adding in this quick workout routine every now and then, since it is really beneficial!