Karla Tafra
So, you’ve arrived at your travel destination to find out your hotel doesn’t have a gym. Instead of freaking out and getting ready to file a complaint, here’s what you can do to make sure you still get in a couple of good workouts.
Room Workout
Something that can never fail you is a good hotel room workout. Whether you have extra space or not, you can always get creative and find a way to make it work. Grab a chair and use it for lunges or elevated push-ups, lie on the floor and place your feet on the bed for hip thrusts and bridges, or hold on to a desk to do bodyweight rows. You can do ab exercises practically everywhere. And depending on how much space you have (or can make up by moving some furniture around), you can even do some jumping jacks, squat jumps, or even burpees.
If you have space for a mat, yoga and pilates exercises are great for hotel room workouts as you don’t need anything else but your own body to perform them. If you brought in some resistance bands(LINK to my article), you could get a good sweat in by just using them to walk up and down your hallway. Not having a gym can be a pain, but it only means you need to wake up your creativity.
Take A Look Around The Area
Depending on what location you’ve arrived at, there could be great options you could use for your workout session. If there’s a beach nearby, you can do so many workouts you should be glad there’s no gym in your hotel; after all, working out in the fresh air is so much better for you anyway. From running and swimming to yoga on the beach and all sorts of HIIT workouts, you’ve got the whole beach to yourself.
If there’s a park in the vicinity, you can always go for a run or use the benches and do everything from squats, lunges, push-ups, and dips to sprints, ab exercises, and balance drills. If you encounter some stairs, there are tons of stair workouts you can browse through and find yourself sore for days after.
If none of these options are available, check out everything your hotel has to offer. Maybe there’s a pool or an outdoor patio you can use, a backyard, an empty conference room, or even a not-so-busy staircase. You’d be surprised to see how many hotels have great areas that you can use to create some epic workouts.
Explore Local Studios
Thanks to Google maps, you can now discover pretty much anything you’ve ever thought of in the area of your interest. Just a quick search will show all the local studios and gyms you can check out and buy a drop-in class. If you’re within the United States and you travel a lot, think about signing up for ClassPass or MindBody and get the most bang for your buck by trying out different workout styles and city vibes as you dive into their fitness scene. Who knows, you might discover something new and exciting which you’ll continue doing even when you come back home.
Exploring the local fitness options could also be a fantastic way to meet new people and get immersed in the local culture, which will only enrich your travel experience.
Get Outside Your Comfort Zone
Think about this “inconvenient” situation as a blessing in disguise and take it as a sign to try something you’d never even consider otherwise. Take a tango class, attend a salsa night, or sign up for Bollywood basics; who knows when you’d ever get another chance! Fitness is all about moving your body and feeling good, and it doesn’t matter whether you do it with weights or pom-poms.
Another great thing about getting outside your comfort zone is learning new things about yourself, as being “stuck” in a specific routine for a long time makes us forget all humans like exploring and finding new things to fall in love with.
The Great Outdoors
On the other hand, if your destination offers some incredible hikes, mountain views, skiing trails, or kayaking rides, make it your mission to schedule them into your day and make them a part of your vacation or business trip. Rent a bike and explore the city, climb some beautiful hills and experience spectacular sights, get in the water and row smoothly through its crystal blue color—every part of our planet has something new and incredible to offer.
Traveling is amazing; it makes us richer, happier, and more knowledgable about everything and everyone around us. If you’re a fitness lover, you’ll realize that there’s nothing better than to combine those two passions and make your trip completely unforgettable. By the end of it, you won’t even remember if your hotel had a gym or not.
Prepare Ahead
You never know what kind of problems you might encounter on your journey, so doing a bit of preparing ahead will prepare you for any “fitness inconvenience.” Pack a few resistance bands, sneakers, layered workout clothes, ab sliders, and maybe throw in a jumping rope as well- it all fits in your carry-on, and you can use it to create a dozen different workouts, gym or not.
Staying on track with your fitness goals is essential, and whether or not your hotel has a gym can make all the difference, especially if you’re preparing for a competition or training for a particular event. Keep these tips in mind when you’re booking your next trip and stay prepared for every situation, not leaving anything to chance and stressful consequences.
