20-minute hotel room workouts

You get to experience new places, discover new flavors and meet new people. But, for all its benefits, travel can wreak havoc on your fitness plans. Between sightseeing and sunbathing, it can be a real challenge to fit a workout into your busy travel schedule.

But here's the good news: you don't need a gym or fancy equipment to keep up with your fitness goals. In fact, we’ve put together a collection of simple-yet-effective workouts that you can complete right from your hotel room. So, get ready to break a sweat before hitting the breakfast buffet with our series of 20-minute hotel room workouts

Bodyweight Exercises

You’ve probably heard of the age-old saying that you don’t need equipment to have a good workout. Well, that’s absolutely true. With bodyweight exercises, you can use your own body weight as resistance to help you burn fat and build muscle.

Simply:

• Choose an area of your body you want to strengthen, or just focus on cardio
• Do each exercise for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and move on to the next one
• Pick 10 exercises and repeat the process three times for an efficient sweat session

 Here are a few bodyweight exercises to consider:

• Upper body: Push-ups, planks, crunches, tricep dips
• Lower body: Squats, lunges, lateral leg raises, donkey kicks
• Cardio: High knees, jump rope, burpees, skater hops

Circuit Training

Circuit training is one of the best ways to build resistance and get your heart rate pumping. The objective of this workout is to complete a series of high-intensity exercises with little to no rest. For example, you may start with a low-body exercise, before moving on to an upper-body exercise. If you're a beginner, you may just want to stick to the basics instead.

Here are some circuit training workout exercises to consider:

• Beginners: 30 toe touches, 10 jumping jacks, 10 lunges, 10 crunches
• Intermediate: 30 bicycle crunches, 10 squats, 10 push-ups
• Advanced: 30 high knees, 20 mountain climbers, 10 burpees

Customized Yoga Workout

If you prefer a low impact workout, then a customized yoga workout may be a better option for you. By doing yoga regularly, you can build muscle, improve your flexibility and posture and maintain a healthy figure. Whether you want to get to grips with some basic yoga moves, or incorporate your favorite poses to customize your workout, just make sure to hold each pose for at least 30 seconds before transitioning to the next. Then repeat the flow three times.

Here are some simple yoga poses to consider:

Warrior I

1. Step into the pose by placing your right foot out to the right
2. Pivot your body and turn your left foot inward to about 45 degrees
3. Keep your left leg straight while bending your knee at a 90-degree angle
4. Raise your arms and hold the pose
5. Switch sides

Warrior II

1. Raise your left arm parallel to the floor while positioning your right arm behind you, also parallel to the floor
2. Turn your left foot to a 90-degree angle and hold the pose
3. Switch sides

Warrior III

1. Bring your arms forward so they're both in front of you and parallel to the floor
2. Shift your weight forward onto your right leg, leaning forward until your back is straight and your chest is parallel with the ground
3. Lift your left leg as you go
4. Hold the pose for a few seconds, then switch sides

Reverse Warrior

1. Return to Warrior II and reach your right arm towards your left knee while raising your left arm over your head
2. Hold the pose before switching sides

Downward Facing Dog

1. Starting on your hands and knees, place your hands so your wrists are aligned with your shoulders and your knees are under your hips
2. Stretch your elbows, and spread your fingers, and then press into your palms and knuckles
3. Lift your knees, reaching your pelvis upward to form an ‘A’ shape with your body.
4. Press into the floor with your hands and feet, lengthening and stretching your spine, while engaging your arm and thigh muscle.

HIIT Workout

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, can be a quick yet efficient way to build muscle and burn a large number of calories in a short amount of time. The workout involves a series of high-intensity exercises, with low-intensity recovery periods.

HIIT workouts are suitable for all fitness levels and are designed to help you integrate exercise into your busy schedule.

To get started, just follow the 20-minute HIIT workout below twice. To mix things up a little, do the exercises in reverse order the second time around.

Dance workout

If you’re planning on spending the night in the hotel room, don’t fret. Dance workouts are the next best thing to busting a move on the dance floor. Even though you’ll be swapping your cocktails and party shoes for a water bottle and gym shoes, the endorphins of a good old boogie are still the same.

The beauty of dance workouts is that they’re suitable for any level. They’re also super easy to follow and can be carried out virtually anywhere. You don’t need any special equipment, you’ll just need access to YouTube, where you’ll find a plethora of fun and upbeat dance workout videos. Simply pick one you like and get ready to break a sweat.  

What's your favorite way to squeeze in a quick workout while you're on the go? Share your tips with us or find more fitness inspiration on our Facebook page.