Hotel Fitness

Don’t let travelling put a strain on your exercise routine! Add this handy travel routine to your list of must-haves while packing to keep yourself motivated and on track this summer. 

It doesn’t matter if you are staying in a hotel, a motel or a luxury resort, often, on-site fitness centers are less than desirable, if available at all. When travelling at length, I try to select hotels or resorts with a well-equipped fitness facility whenever possible. However, these opportunities do not always present themselves, encouraging me to find alternative ways to exercise while away from home. Often, we forget that heart pounding, sweat inducing exercise can be achieved without all the bells and whistles found within commercial gyms and fitness centers. In fact, fat burning, muscle toning exercise can take place in your own hotel room with little to no equipment. Of course, if you plan your hotel workouts in advance there are a few pieces of travel-friendly equipment that will add variety and resistance to your routine including:

·         Resistance bands or tubing

·         Hip circle  

·         Sliders/ disks (you can use hotel towels in place of these)

·         Ankle weights

·         Skipping rope

If you don’t have any of these items, don’t sweat, you can complete an effective workout using the items found within the hotel room and your body weight! Here is a sample 20-minute routine that can be completed in any small space;

Warm-up

**If you packed a skipping rope, warm up with skipping intervals. Five rounds:  30 seconds of skipping followed by 30 seconds of rest. Or, preform the following;

·         Jog in place --> 2 rounds: 1 minute jogging followed by 30 seconds of rest

·         25 jumping jacks

·         10 (each leg) alternating lunges

·         10 IYT arm stretches

Hotel Room Workout Routine

3 Rounds:

·         20 Mountain climbers

·         12 Chair tricep dips

·         10 Chair incline push ups

·         10 Luggage rows (each arm)

·         10 Chair decline push ups

·         12 Air squats

·         10 glute bridges

·         12 Bed side Russian twist

·         30 second plank (any variation)

·         30 second wall sit

Bonus: if your hotel has stairs, try running a couple of flights for some extra cardio! 

It is important to remember that any program can be modified to meet the needs and skill level of each individual exerciser. While I enjoy completing the program as listed above, it may not be right for you. Always remember that each exercise can be simplified or made more challenging to meet the need of the individual. For example, the push-up is often completed in standard position, but can be simplified when performed from the knees or against the wall. To make the move more challenging, try widening or narrowing your stance and/or elevating your hands or feet.

About the Author: 

Laura Neil- a newbie to the town of Mitchell - has been a great addition to the LiveWell4Life Admin Team. You will see her at the desk, doing one on one training and maybe even popping up to teach some classes. 

Laura has graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Communication Studies. She will be starting at the University of Western Ontario in the fall to complete her PhD in Media and Information Studies, focused on public health and sport as they pertain to media. 

Laura was also recently certified by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), for one on one training and looks forward to helping anyone achieve their personal goals this year. In Laura's spare time she can be found in the gym, at the curling rink or hunting for antiques.