Traveling for the Holidays? Here’s a Workout Routine You Can Take Anywhere

As the holidays inch closer, staying on our exercise routine becomes more and more challenging. We all want to stay on top of our fitness goals as the holidays approach, but we face many challenges this time of year. Holidays mean more meals, less time, and more travel. If we are traveling for the holidays, it becomes more challenging to squeeze in a workout. Finding the time, needing more equipment or space, and knowing what to do are barriers we face when it comes to squeezing in a workout when we’re on the road. During this blog, I want to leave you with easy workouts to choose from when it comes to achieving your fitness goals as we travel for the Holidays!

The physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. There are lots of different exercise options and routines to meet these guidelines. Two options we have are long and slow or short and intense. Both options yield great results. Let’s make some assumptions here if we are trying to get a workout while traveling. We don’t have a lot of time, we don’t have a lot of equipment, and we don’t know what to do! Below are some workout options that are time efficient, don’t require a lot of equipment, and are extremely effective.

EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. In the example below, you would set a timer for 20 minutes; on the odd minutes, you would do 8 burpees; on the even minutes, you would do 10 squats. Once you finish your 8 burpees or 10 squats, you rest for the remainder of the minute. So, if it takes you 30 seconds to do 8 burpees, you then rest 30 seconds until it’s time to do your 10 squats. This will increase your heart rate, doesn’t take much time or equipment, and includes functional movements. While burpees may not be your favorite, they offer great functional movement by getting up and off the floor. We know how important it is to maintain this capacity as we age and maintain our functional independence. The same goes for squats; lower extremity strength has been shown to be one of the most important factors in maintaining our functional independence as we age and a predictor of life expectancy! Here’s the full breakdown of the EMOM routine:

Set a timer for 20 minutes

• Odd: 8 burpees
• Even: 10 squats

Another quick but effective burner that shouldn’t take much time is a full-body workout involving your upper extremity, core, and lower extremity. But wait, I can’t do a push up! No worries. You can always modify it by completing these from your knees or an elevated surface. This could be a chair, bed, table (as long as it’s sturdy). And feel free to sub out squats for something; lunges, jump squats, jumping lunges (spicy). 5 rounds not enough for you? Make it 10! Only have 10 minutes? Complete as many rounds and reps of this as possible in 10 minutes. The options are endless. Pick some movements, set a time frame, and set reps to a scheme that makes sense for you! Here’s what you’ll do:

5 Rounds

• 10 Push ups
• 10 Air squats
• 10 Sit ups

Here’s a workout routine I stole from a coworker. His dilemma: how can I squeeze in a 20-minute workout during my lunch? He had a newborn at home and didn’t have much time to work out. His solution was the workout routine below. You take six movements, do them all for six reps, and do that for six rounds. You can mix and match these however you want. The nice thing about this workout is that you can do this five days in a row and do five completely different workouts. Those movements can be six upper body movements, three upper and three lower, or six cardio movements. Here’s the breakdown:

6 Movements, 6 Reps, 6 Times

• Squats, sit-ups, push-ups, curls, pull-ups, burpees, lunges, DB presses, Rows, etc.

Compliance is the Science!

These are a just a few options to achieve a quick workout while traveling on the road. If you have equipment, great! Mix in some dumbbells or weights. If you don’t have equipment but want more of a strength stimulus, use what you have! This may be using your backpack as an added load during squats. Or hold a milk jug as you squat in and out of your chair. Now is the time to get creative with your workouts. I enjoy working out on the road, as this lets my creative juices flow. Pick a set of movements, set a timeframe, and choose a rep scheme you can complete! Everything can be modified. Maybe you do fewer reps, or a modified push-up, or a squat into a chair, but you’re still getting it done! When it comes to staying active during these busy times, compliance is the science. Don’t get too caught up on what to do; find a way to do it. This may mean that you’re getting in a 30-minute walk. But that’s better than nothing!

Are you unsure of what you can do while on the road due to some aches and pains? Schedule a free assessment with an Athletico clinician to set you up on the right path!

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*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
What You Can Do to Meet Physical Activity Recommendations | Physical Activity Basics | CDC
García-Hermoso A, Cavero-Redondo I, Ramírez-Vélez R, et al. Muscular Strength as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in an AAnalysis of Data From Approximately 2 Million Men and Women. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018;99(10):2100-2113.e5. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2018.01.008