Whether you are traveling for business, going abroad for fun, or simply have a family trip planned, you can rest assured that you don’t have to pack a pair of dumbbells or a set of resistance bands to keep up with your workouts.
Researchers have found that you can still get a meaningful workout in simply by doing bodyweight exercises—right from the comfort and privacy of your hotel room, or outside.
Here are 8 exercises that will get you the most bang for your buck.
According to Joseph Hribick, PT, DPT, DSc(c), COMT, FAAOMPT, a physical therapist and clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at Lebanon Valley College, squats target your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core.
- Tips for proper form: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and keep your chest lifted and your weight through your heels, said Hribick. Sit your hips back and down as if lowering onto a chair.
- Modifications: If you need an easier version, Hribick suggests reducing the depth you go down or holding onto a stable surface for balance. For a harder version, you can try a staggered stance (split squat) and add a hop or rear foot elevation, said Julia Rosenthal, PT, DPT, a physical therapist and founder of Empower Physical Therapy in Brooklyn, NY.
- Pro tip: Think “knees out, chest up” to avoid having your knees collapsing inward and your trunk leaning forward, said Hribick.
Push-ups are a great way to target your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, said Hribick.
- Tips for proper form: Position your hands on the floor just slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your body in a plank position and lower your chest toward the floor with your elbows at a 45-degree angle. Press back up and pause at the top before doing another rep, said Hribick.
- Modifications: If you need an easier version, Rosenthal suggests incline pushups. These involve putting your hands on a bed or counter with your elbows at a 45-degree angle. Lower and press with a straight spine.
- Pro tip: Focus on quality over quantity, said Rosenthal. “Stay connected to your core and maintain a good plank throughout the movement.”
Burpees are great for full-body cardio, legs, chest, and core, said Hribick.
- Tips for proper form: To do burpees, squat down, put your hands on the floor, jump feet back to a plank, do a push-up, jump feet forward, and then explode upward.
- Modifications: If you find traditional burpees too challenging, walk your feet into a plank instead of jumping and skip the push-up, said Hribick. If you want to make it a little harder, add a tuck jump at the top, he said.
- Pro tip: Keep a steady pace rather than rushing to prevent sloppy form. “Also, do burpees earlier in the workout when you’re not pre-fatigued to help maintain proper form,” said Hribick.
If you’re looking to target your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core, lunges may be an exercise you want to include, said Hribrick.
- Tips for proper form: Step forward and lower your back knee toward the floor. Keep your front knee over your ankle and push back to start. Alternate legs.
- Modifications: For an easier version, Hribick suggests reducing the depth of the lunge, and to make it harder, add a hop when returning to standing.
- Pro tip: Avoid leaning forward and keep your torso tall, suggested Hribick.
Planks are an essential move that targets core control, shoulder stability, and coordination, said Rosenthal.
- Tips for proper form: Make sure your elbows are under your shoulders and your body is straight from head to heels. Pull your stomach inward toward the spine and hold this position without sagging hips or arching your back.
- Modifications: For an easier version, Rosenthal recommends dropping to your knees when performing the plank. For a harder version, try shoulder taps, which involve tapping alternate shoulders in the plank position without twisting.
- Pro tip: Imagine balancing a cup of coffee on your lower back to keep your trunk engaged, said Rosenthal.
According to Hribick, glute bridges target your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
- Tips for proper form: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet about hip-width apart, he said. Press your hips up, squeeze the glutes at the top, and lower slowly.
- Modifications: For a harder version, Rosenthal recommends a marching bridge or doing the glute bridge with your feet elevated.
- Pro tip: Perform glute bridges slowly, says Hribick, and avoid arching your lower back at the top of the motion. This may mean not lifting your hips as high into the movement, he said.
Mountain climbers are a great choice for cardio, core, and shoulders, said Hribick.
- Tips for proper form: From a plank position, drive one knee toward your chest, then switch quickly, like running in place, keeping your shoulders over your hands.
- Modifications: If you need something a little easier, try a slower pace or fewer reps, said Hribick. Add a twist to bring your knee toward your opposite elbow if you want it to be more challenging.
- Pro tip: Keep your hips low to engage the abs rather than bouncing.
To target your lower back, glutes, and shoulders, supermans are a great choice, said Hribick.
- Tips for proper form: Lie face down on your stomach and lift your arms, chest, and legs slightly off of the floor. Hold this position briefly and then lower with control.
- Modifications: To make this bodyweight exercise easier, Hribick suggests lifting just your arms or your legs. To make it harder, increase your hold time in the lift position.
- Pro tip: Don’t try to lift your arms and legs high off the floor, and be sure to exhale as you lift to help engage your muscles.
Bodyweight exercises are incredibly effective, specially when they’re done with intention, said Rosenthal. They improve strength, joint control, mobility, and core engagement without equipment. Here are some ways our experts recommend turning these bodyweight exercises into a mini workout.
- Create a 10-minute workout: Pick 10 bodyweight exercises and do each exercise for 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest between each. Do two rounds to turn it into a 20-minute workout.
- Perform a Tabata: For this high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, pick four exercises. Do each exercise for 20 seconds, with 10 seconds of rest between each. Repeat each exercise four times.
- Do a movement snack: A movement snack is a short burst of activity lasting only a few minutes. It is designed to reduce inactivity and boost mental well-being. Choose three or four exercises and do them quickly.
These workouts also meet you where you are—whether you’re in your living room, at the airport, on a work trip, or recovering from a tough week.
If you have always assumed you cannot get in a good workout without lifting weights, you are mistaken.
Researchers have found that bodyweight exercises are just as effective. Not only can they improve your heart health, but they also can build muscle.
