UPGRADE YOUR HOTEL STAY WITH QUICK, SIMPLE IN-ROOM WORKOUTS

Your trip is booked, your clothes are packed and your boarding passes are printed. What else could you need for a fun and successful trip? A workout plan! Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, one of the hardest things to keep on track is your daily workout routine. Instead of searching for the closest gym to your destination or mapping out a safe route to squeeze in a run while on the road, bring your workout to you by packing a quick and simple hotel room exercise routine. Turn Your Hotel Room Into Your Own Personal Gym Ed Morton, personal trainer at Fitness Together Nashville, always sends a basic, no-equipment-needed workout with his clients on the road so they can stay active wherever their travels may take them. Instead of crowding into a hotel gym with your fellow patrons, exercise in the comfort and privacy of your own hotel room with the following 15-minute strength workout from Morton. All you need is a watch to time your intervals, your workout clothes and shoes, and the dedication to staying fit while you travel. And, even if you forget to pack your workout gear, many hotel chains such as The Westin Hotel offer workout attire rentals for as little as $5 per day. There really aren’t any excuses to missing your workout when you travel. “You can do this workout in as little as 15 minutes,” says Morton. “It’s a great way to start or finish your day being active. If you’re short on time, you can vary the length depending on your schedule and you can scale the interval times depending on your fitness level.” To maintain your fitness level while you’re traveling, Morton suggests doing the following five exercises in your hotel room: • Push-Ups – Either on toes or knees, depending on ability. • Body Weight Squats – Use a hotel room chair to scale the exercise down or hold a phone book to add weight to the squats. • Tricep Dips – Either with legs bent or straight, perform dips off the side of the bed or on the hotel room chair. • Lunges – Either moving lunges or stationary, depending on ability. • Plank – Either on toes or knees, depending on ability. All exercises should be completed in 45-second intervals, followed by 15 seconds of rest after each exercise. Do all five exercises in a circuit, then rest for one minute after each circuit. Complete three rounds of the circuit for an effective 15-minute strength training workout. Mix in Some Cardio for Extended Trips If your trip is going to last more than a few days, Morton suggests supplementing your strength training workouts with some cardio interval movements that can be done in your hotel room as well. Pump up your heart rate and jump start extra calorie burn with fun and energizing cardio moves such as mountain climbers, lateral jumps, burpees, shadow boxing and front jump or stationary kicks. Similar to the strength training workout outlined above, Morton advises doing your favorite cardio exercises in an interval format that includes doing each exercise for 45 seconds as hard and quick as you can, followed by 15 seconds of rest in between each exercise. “Mountain climbers are one of the best cardio moves because you’re working your total body and you’re getting your heart rate up,” explains Morton. “If you do mountain climbers for 45-second intervals, you’re going to get a good cardio workout in.” Keep it Simple, Yet Effective Staying active is the name of the health and fitness game when you’re traveling. Morton advises keeping your workout routine simple and don’t overcomplicate it with added logistics, hassles and stresses. “Whether you go for a walk or work out in your hotel room, staying active and moving is what’s important,” says Morton. “Fifteen minutes of doing any activity is better than doing zero minutes of activity.” Before you hit the road, have your personal trainer e-mail or text you a hotel room workout for your trip. Or, bookmark Morton’s hotel room workout video and follow along from whatever city you find yourself in this year. Either way, stay active and maintain your fitness level while traveling this year by packing quick and simple hotel room workouts like these that you can do anywhere.