15 No-Equipment Hotel-Friendly Workouts to Help You Stay Active While Traveling
No gym? No problem! The lack of a gym or even traveling doesn’t have to stop your fitness routine. While many hotels have gym access, sometimes there’s no time to go, especially if you have busy travel days or have zero energy to work out at the end of the day.
However, keeping up with your workout is important, whether you’re trying to stay fit while traveling or shake off jet lag. These 15 hotel-room workouts are perfect for keeping you active while on the go.
You’ll only need space, your body weight, and the determination to sweat a little without jumping around or carrying weights. No matter where your travels take you, you can do these exercises anywhere. Let’s get into it.
1. Push-Ups
Push-ups are a classic exercise to include in your regime anywhere you go because they are simple, effective, and require no equipment or even much space. This practical exercise targets many body parts simultaneously, including the arms, chest, core, and shoulders. It is also easily modified, which is perfect for anyone to do.
You can do a quick and potent workout in a few short reps to start feeling the burn at any point, no matter your schedule. It’s the perfect exercise to do, even in the smallest hotel room, while keeping your downstairs neighbors in mind.
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your chest toward the floor, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
- Push back up to the starting position.
2. Slow-Burpee
Slow cardio is the way to avoid bumping into things and making loud noises for your neighbors when working out in small hotel rooms. Like a traditional burpee, a slow burpee is done the same way without jumping.
The full-body exercise targets the body overall, from the arms and legs to the core. The no-jumping feature makes it an easier cardio workout that avoids joint pain. You don’t need much space for this one, but you should clear some room to avoid bumping into or breaking something.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
- Step your feet back to a high plank position.
- Step your feet back toward your hands and stand up.
3. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are a great, low-impact workout that produces effective results. They are also great for doing in your hotel room with zero equipment.
If you’ve been traveling for hours, doing a few glute bridges is a great way to move your hips and get some movement overall while activating the glutes, hamstrings, core, and lower back. You only need a flat surface and a few minutes to do this powerful exercise.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower your hips back to the floor.
4. Wall-Sits
Although harmless-looking, wall sits are another great exercise for hotel rooms. The only equipment you need is a wall and your body weight.
Work your legs, specifically your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, while building strength in this static but challenging position with your back against the wall. You can also increase the intensity by getting lower if you’re up for an even bigger challenge.
- Stand with your back against a wall and your feet about 2 feet away from it.
- Slide down the wall until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle, as if sitting on an invisible chair.
- Hold this position, keeping your back flat against the wall.
5. Planks
Want another full-body workout without going to the hotel gym? Planks strengthen your core, shoulders, back, and legs all at once, and the best part is that they don’t require much space.
Planks are a great workout to add to your regime, especially if you’re traveling. They can help improve posture and balance, which we can sometimes compromise when constantly carrying luggage and backpacks.
Hold a plank for at least 30 seconds, 1 minute, or more, and you’ll feel the effectiveness of this workout.
- Start in a forearm plank position, with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
- Engage your core and hold the position, avoiding sagging or raising your hips.
6. Heel Raises
Heel raises are among the easiest exercises to include in a travel workout, especially in a small hotel room. Get in front of the TV or scroll a little while you exercise your calves and ankles.
This is perfect, especially when you’re walking all day exploring new cities or through airports. This workout is ideal because it doesn’t take up space, as your heels move up and down in place, and it also doesn’t cause noises that could bother neighbors. Do a few of these for a quick burn and definition of your calf muscles.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on a wall or chair for balance.
- Lift your heels off the ground, coming onto your toes.
- Lower your heels back to the floor.
7. Donkey Kicks
Skip the dirty equipment at the hotel gym and opt for equally powerful donkey kicks in your room. Though donkey kicks may require some space to stretch out your leg kick, they don’t require any other equipment to work out your core, legs, glutes, and hips.
Plus, it doesn’t make any noise, as you’re standing on all fours on the ground, and no jumping is required. Only small and light taps every time your leg comes down.
- Begin on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Keeping your knee bent, lift one leg toward the ceiling.
- Lower the leg back to the starting position without touching the floor and repeat.
8. Deadlifts
Do deadlift rounds in your hotel room without other equipment to strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, core, and lower back. Traditionally, people hold on to a medicine ball to add more challenge, but you could reach for something heavy like your backpack for some resistance in your workout. However, it’s not required because body weight is good enough.
Working out these targeted muscles is also great for traveling. It helps with overall posture and strengthens back muscles, which can sometimes be sacrificed after long flights or train rides.
- Fill your backpack with books or items for weight.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold the backpack in both hands in front of you.
- Hinge at your hips and lower the backpack toward the floor while keeping your back straight.
- Return to standing by engaging your glutes and core.
9. Squats
Nothing beats a traditional squat as a powerful exercise for working out the glute muscles, which is ideal for any traveler staying in a small hotel room.
Do a few squats in a small space in your hotel room to target the glutes, legs, and core. Hold the squat position for a few seconds to increase or decrease the intensity of the workout. To protect your knees, never extend them beyond your toes when squatting.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
- Lower your hips down and back as if sitting in a chair, keeping your chest upright.
- Push through your heels to return to standing.
10. Tricep Dips
A great way to tone your arms without dumbbells is by doing several reps of tricep dips. It’s perfect to do in any hotel room, big or small. You can support your arms and dip from a chair or the edge of the bed, or you can even do it on the floor by bending your arms to lower your body.
Exercising your upper arms, triceps, and shoulders is a good idea, especially while traveling. You may use your upper body strength to put luggage in the overhead compartment or collect it from the belt.
- Sit on the edge of a chair or bed with your hands gripping the edge, fingers facing forward.
- Slide your hips off the edge and bend your elbows to lower your body.
- Push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift yourself back up.
11. Bird Dog
If your hotel is spacious enough to stretch, bird dogs are a great exercise for strength training in your hotel room routine. These exercises only require your body weight and are perfect for working your core, back, and glutes and improving your balance. They’re especially perfect for a workout that’s easy on your joints and doesn’t make any noise.
Clear some space so you can stretch your arm and leg comfortably without bumping into anything.
- Start on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Extend one arm and the opposite leg simultaneously, keeping your body straight.
- Lower them back to the starting position and switch sides.
12. Sumo Side Bends
A crowd favorite, Sumo Side Bends offers a great oblique workout that is easy and highly effective without getting on the floor if you don’t have a mat around. Exercise your legs, core, and especially your obliques with this exercise by squatting and putting your hands behind your head and then slowly moving side to side to the point of almost touching your elbow with your knee.
For an extra challenge, grab water bottles for added weight!
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointing outward.
- Hold a wide squat position.
- Bend your upper body to one side, reaching toward your knee, then return to the center and bend to the other side.
13. Windshield Wipers
Another great oblique workout is windshield wipers that target specifically the obliques without needing any equipment. You could do this exercise on the floor or your bed for extra back comfort and exercise your obliques as you twist your hips from one side to the other.
Keep your shoulders extended on the ground for balance to get the most out of the exercise.
- Lie on your back with your arms out to the sides for support and your legs raised and bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Slowly lower your legs to one side, keeping them together, then bring them back to the center.
- Repeat on the other side.
14. Toe Touch Crunch
Toe Touch Crunches target your core muscles and don’t require much space or make any noise, which makes it a perfect hotel room exercise! You only need your body weight and good form for effective exercise.
Find a flat surface and lift your legs in the air. Then, bring your hands to touch your feet and repeat. To avoid injuries, ensure your lower back always touches the floor and doesn’t move up when touching your feet.
- Lie on your back with your legs straight up in the air.
- Reach your hands toward your toes while lifting your shoulders off the floor.
- Lower back down slowly.
15. Superman
Work out your back muscles, glutes, and shoulders with Superman exercises. These exercises require only some space to stretch your legs and arms and don’t make any noise.
To do this exercise effectively, find a flat surface, such as a bed, and lie on your front. Extend your arms and legs simultaneously, mimicking Superman’s flying. This will work out your targeted muscles.
For an added challenge, when extending your arms and legs, stay there for a few seconds longer and then go back down.
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you.
- Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor simultaneously.
- Hold briefly, then lower back down.
Which No-Gym Workout Will You Be Trying Out in Your Hotel Room Next?
No excuses to work out! Which of these do you think you’ll try next time you travel? Do you know of any other no-equipment workouts perfect for a hotel room?
Let us know in the comments!
