8 Exercises to Stay in Shape While Traveling

Finding the right time and physical space to exercise can seem more challenging than ever when you’re on-the-go. If you don’t have access to any weights or cardio equipment, there are plenty of bodyweight exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own hotel room. All you need is yourself and a CLX resistance band that easily fits inside your suitcase to work out while traveling.

Learn how to keep up with your fitness regime while on-the-go with these full-body exercises!

4 Upper Body Exercises

4 Lower Body Exercises

8 Helpful Tips for Traveling

4 Upper Body Exercises

These upper body exercises strengthen the muscles in the arms but also work the core, shoulders, and back muscles. Do 10 reps of each exercise, repeat for 3 sets. To better challenge yourself during the first two arm workouts, try using a resistance band loop wrapped around the feet.

1. Plank Shoulder Taps

person in plank position

Start in a high plank position, placing your hands under your shoulders closer together
Keep the feet and knees wider apart to provide a more stable base
Engage your abs and glutes so that your body is in a straight line, lift one hand up off the ground and move it slowly to touch the opposite shoulder
Keep the hips square and do not rotate as you lift your hand to touch your shoulder
Lift the other hand and tap your other shoulder to complete one rep

2. Tricep Dips

Using a stable chair or bench, sit on the edge and grip the edge next to your hips
Extend the legs and position your feet hip width apart with the heels touching the ground
Press into the palms to lift your body and slide forward just far enough that your behind clears the edge of the seat
Lower yourself until your elbows are bent between 45 to 90 degrees
Push yourself back up to the starting position with controlled movement

3. Resisted Push-Ups

Using a CLX resistance band, place one hand in an easy-grip loop and wrap the band around your back, placing the other hand in the desired loop
Kneel down and adjust the resistance band flat across your upper back in line with your scapulae
Place your hands on the ground to assume a plank position
Slowly lower your torso until your elbows are bent just above 90-degrees and rise back to plank position to complete one push-up

4. Bilateral Arm Raises

Using a CLX band, begin by placing your hands inside the end loops
With a staggered stance, place one foot in the center of the band
With a closed hand grip and thumbs pointed upward, begin raising your arms to shoulder level, maintaining a 30-degree angle in front of your body
Make sure to not shrug your shoulders and keep your back straight while performing this exercise

4 Lower Body Exercises

These lower body exercises challenge the legs, working the hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, and inner thighs. Do 30 seconds on each side, repeat for 3 sets. To increase difficulty during this leg workout, try using a resistance band loop that can also help improve flexibility.

1. Lunges

lunges

Begin exercise by standing tall with feet hip width apart
Engaging the core, take a big step forward with the right leg. Shift your weight forward so the heel hits the floor first
Keeping your back straight, lower your body until the right thigh is parallel to the floor and the right shin is vertical
If mobility allows, lightly tap the floor with your left knee keeping weight in the right heel
Press into the right heel to push the body back up to the starting position
Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side to complete one rep

2. Front Squats

Begin by placing each foot into the end loop of a CLX band
Feed each arm through the two center easy-grip loops with one seal between them
Fold and raise the arms to shoulder height and place the feet hip-width apart
Maintain your arms with elbows bent and hands crossed at shoulder level as you slowly squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor
Without leaning forward, slowly return to a standing position maintaining a neutral back and neck alignment to complete one rep

3. Leg Extensions

Place each foot into a desired loop of the CLX resistance band with one seal between them
With your feet hip-width apart, center your balance onto the right leg
Keeping the opposite leg straight, slowly raise and kick backwards
Continue to kick backwards without allowing the foot to touch the ground
Place the foot back into starting position and repeat using the left leg

4. Single Leg RDL (Romanian Deadlift)

Start standing on the right leg with a slight bend in the knee
With arms at your side, lift the left leg. Engaging the core, hinge at the hips and lean forward with the chest as you lift your left leg behind you
Body moving in a straight line, keep the left leg straight and shoulders back and down. Stop when the torso and leg are both parallel to the floor
Bring arms out to the sides in an airplane position to help balance
Slowly stand up to return to start. Repeat for 30 seconds then switch to the opposite side to complete one rep

Only have a few minutes while traveling to get in a quick workout? Watch this video offering an effective workout using the CLX resistance band you’ve packed in your suitcase:

8 Helpful Tips for Traveling

Find Nearby Fitness Classes	Scope out fitness classes in the area that allow you to workout with others. This will help motivate you to attend and push through your workout.
Stay Hydrated	Make sure to keep a bottle of water with you while you’re traveling. It’ll keep you full, hydrated, and prevent you from snacking.
Pack Athletic Wear	Pack as much workout clothes as your other clothing to ensure you’ll have no excuse not to exercise.
Walk More	Take the stairs instead of the elevator at the hotel. Go for a morning walk before breakfast. Choose to walk to dinner if the restaurant is just a few blocks away.
Leave Room in Your Schedule	Leave room in your schedule to workout and never go more than 2 days in a row without exercising to maintain a consistent schedule.
Stretch to Improve Flexibility	Improve range of motion and flexibility with full body stretches before and after exercise.
Relieve Tension After Hours of Traveling	Sitting through long flights, riding in the car for several hours, or sleeping on a different mattress can cause muscles to tense up. Use on-the-go massage tools to help relieve sore muscles, stiff joints, and alleviate pain in the lower back and neck.
Avoid Sleepless Nights	Fight jet lag and sleep deprivation by heading to bed at a decent hour. Use a travel pillow to rest comfortably while in the car or on the plane.

person walking with a suitecase

You’ve been working hard to achieve fitness goals prior to traveling, so why stop now? All that effort to lose weight or gain muscle can still be achieved. With workout streaming services, you can stream your favorite workouts—whether they’re strength training, kickboxing, HIIT-workouts, or yoga—in the comfort of your own hotel room.

Find your perfect resistance band to pack. Then commit to making exercise part of your routine while on-the-go and you’ll be able to enjoy vacation just a little more!

References

Tucker, Alexa. (2016). The Best Travel Workouts You Can Do With No Equipment. Self Magazine. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2RzeQPv
Tanenbaum, Sharon. (2014). On-the-Go Workout. Real Simple. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2xtepPX
Salyer, Jesica. (2016). Ankle Weight Exercises for a Full-Body Workout. Healthline. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3ec2xlY

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