Tips to Stay Active While You Travel (Even During A Packed Work Trip)

You sat through the ride to the airport, sat at the terminal, sat through the flight. Sat through meetings and breakout sessions and a working lunch break, sat through corporate happy hour and finally (FINALLY) a few Netflix episodes in your hotel room. 

No wonder you feel like an exhausted marshmallow with back pain. 

No worries, a little movement will fix that right up.

Un-Fun Travel Makes Movement Harder

Maybe you’re traveling for the express purpose of gluing your peach to a sun lounger. If that’s the goal, then park it right there and enjoy yourself. You’ll probably find yourself taking a stroll down the beach at some point, or maybe hopping in on a yoga class. When we travel for leisure, we tend to have more time for movement, even if it’s not our usual gym routine.

If you’re traveling for a less fun reason - like a business trip - you may find yourself trapped under fluorescent lights, just dying for the chance to go for a walk. A little movement can go a long way in giving your brain an energy boost to power through work and put a little bright spot in your day.

One Problem, Though…

You didn’t pick the hotel, the neighborhood, or the schedule. Maybe there’s no gym, no safe space to walk, and no free time that’s not dedicated to just trying to recover from listening to that guy from corporate talk all day. 

Enter: Hotel Room Exercise Hacks 

It’s time to get creative. Throw on something comfortable, add a few fun songs into your playlist queue, and set a timer. Try one of these three circuits, and you’ll be feeling better in no time. 

Rise and shine: start or end your work travel day on a high note with a little hotel room workout powered by a fun playlist.

Workout One: Luggage Lumberjack

You’ll need: 

• A timer set to one-minute intervals for twenty rounds.

• Your luggage, with everything shoved into it. If it’s too heavy, take some stuff out.

Minute one: Grab your bag in a big bear hug, holding it tight against your chest. Squat as many times as you can in one minute. Be sure to keep your chest up and your back vertical. Avoid letting the weight of your bag pull you forward. 

Minute two: Stand tall, and hold your bag by either end in front of your shoulders. Press it overhead as many times as you can until the timer beeps. 

Minute three: Pick up your bag again, but this time, place it on your left shoulder. Step forward and lunge with your right leg. Step back to center. Repeat for one minute. 

Minute four: Repeat minute three, but switch sides. Hold your bag on your right shoulder, and do lunges on your left leg. 

Minute five: Rest and shake it out. Repeat for four rounds, twenty minutes total. 

Workout Two: Bunny Hops

You’ll need: 

• A good sports bra

• A playlist with four of your favorite upbeat songs

Song one: When the chorus comes on, do burpees until it switches to the verse. During the verse, do as many jumping jacks as you can until the chorus starts again. Repeat until the song is over. 

Burpees: Place your hands on the ground, hop your feet back into a plank, lower yourself to the ground until your chest and hips touch the floor, then hop or step your feet back up, and stand. Basically, lay down on your front and get back up, quickly and repeatedly. 

Jumping jacks: you know this one. We all suffered through gym class, right?

Song two: do the same thing, but instead of doing jumping jacks during the verse, do jumping squats. Squat, then clap those cheeks together at the top and use your legs to power a little hop. Land gently, and go immediately back into a squat. Repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Song three: sick of burpees yet? Let the music motivate you. This round, do jumping lunges. Step into a lunge, and then hop straight up. Switch legs, maybe midair if you’re fancy and coordinated, or maybe meet in the middle first. The goal is just to add a bit of a jump to make things challenging. 

Song four: LAST ROUND, BEST ROUND! Save your favorite song for last. Burpees on the chorus, back to jumping jacks on the verse. Or, just shake it out and have yourself a dance party. 

Workout Three: Up, Up, Up!

You’ll need: 

• A sturdy chair, step, or piece of furniture. 

• Optional: a towel to lay on

• A timer set to 15 minutes or more

Complete as many rounds as possible of: 

• 20 sit ups

• 20 step ups

• 20 push ups

• Rest 30 seconds between rounds

You already know how to do sit ups. If you’d like to make it harder, try V-ups: keep your legs straight and extend your arms above your head. Raise both your legs and arms at the same time, folding yourself into a V. Gently lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat. 

For step- ups, grab a sturdy chair and…step up. Switch legs. Step again. If you want, add some weight by holding your luggage or something else heavy. 

If regular pushups feel too challenging, place your hands on an elevated surface (like that chair you were just using). You can even place your hands against the wall. The higher your hands, the easier it will be. Make sure to keep your core tucked in tight and your back flat throughout the movement.

Keep it Movin’ All Day

Want to sneak in even more movement? 

• Suggest walking phone calls or meetings. 

• Walk to your airport gate rather than riding the shuttle or using the moving sidewalks. 

• Do 5 squats in the stall every time you go to the bathroom. 

• Hit some calf raises under your desk. 

• Pack resistance bands or exercise sliders to allow for even more creative hotel room workouts. 

• If time allows, hit up a local gym, a walking tour of the city, or even a bike rental shop.

• Don’t forget to pack comfortable shoes and clothing that let you move. 

Make a Plan, Make it Fun

Traveling for work can be rewarding, but tough. If you’ve got a packed trip coming up, plan ahead to decide how and when you’ll squeeze in some movement. It’s okay to miss your usual workout, but your body and brain will thank you if you give the ol’ bod a chance to stretch and flex, even if only for a few minutes. Set that timer before bed or first thing in the morning, sneak outside to walk during breaks, or convince your boss to schedule a Zumba class as a corporate bonding experience (Jim from accounting would secretly LOVE IT). By keeping the mood light, the music fun, and the workouts low-commitment, you’ll set yourself up for actually following through, so that you can get back home feeling refreshed.