Travel Workouts: The Best Exercises To Do On The Road
Travel workouts are my jam!
Little known fact about me: while practicing law, I studied for and got both my AFAA personal training certification and my AFAA group fitness instructor certification, because, well, I’m obsessed with fitness! I’ve been struggling with how to create a great plan for my training on the road and I think I stumbled upon a good mix of running, CrossFit travel WODs, and singular exercises for specific muscle groups that I do a few times a week.
I wanted to share with you guys some of my absolutely favorite exercises to do while traveling – these can be done anywhere! Whether you’re in a hotel with a fully-stocked gym, or an airBNB, or an RV, or even a tent – all you’ll need is a little bit of space and the desire to stay fit on the road.
1. Squats
Squats are the mother of all exercises. Right now, a toned booty and strong legs are super “in” but even if they weren’t, squats are killer for your lower half! For runners especially, doing squats regularly can help you stay injury free, by making sure your butt and your legs stay as strong as ever! I do squats almost every single day – they are also a core exercise in CrossFit. But you don’t need the weights – all you need is some good form (see how to do a perfect squat on Greatist, here) and a tiny bit of space! To make them harder, you can always use your suitcase or backpack as weight to keep yourself challenged.
2. Push-ups
Push-ups are another favorite exercise of mine – in a very close second to squats! Push-ups work your entire body and they are great for strengthening your core, too, which many people don’t think of when they think of push-ups. Not only that, they’re fun! Just like squats, all you need is a tiny bit of space and a desire to get your form just right and you’ll be on your way to a stronger body! You can also add some variety into your push-ups by doing incline or decline push-ups off a bed or chair, or even doing something like walking push-ups.
3. Burpees
Burpees are another CrossFit staple and although I hate them, I love them! Burpees work everything – and boy, can you feel it! After just a few burpees, your heart is pounding, your legs are exhausted and your arms feel like jelly. I do burpees almost as often as I do squats, because despite how much they suck, I know how good for me they are. Check out this easy demo for how to do a burpee.
4. V-ups
V-ups are another great, total-body exercise. If you’re sensing a theme, it’s because I believe in getting a great bang for your fitness buck (that’s part of why I love CrossFit so much) and for bodyweight exercises, it’s easy to do seriously functional movements. V-ups work your core, while also making you feel the hell out of your legs. They aren’t hard to learn to do, but they are pretty hard to master!
5. Running and/or Running Drills
Yep, couldn’t get through this list without mentioning running. In an ideal world, you’d have the ability to get out of your airBNB or hotel and hit the open road. However, that’s not always possible. Instead, you can always do indoor running drills like suicides, high knees or butt kicks. These drills won’t replace a longer, more dedicated cardio session, but they will help you stay limber and get your heart pumping.
Sample Workout
For me, a sample workout on the road looks like the following:
3-4 mile run at easy, conversational pace of 8:45-8:50/mile
10 minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds & Reps As Possible – a CrossFit term) of:
10 squats
10 pushups
10 V-ups
15 burpees
Another 10 minutes of stretching and I’m good to go!
What are some of your favorite travel workouts? Let me know in the comments below!