Close-up of a female exerciser doing a forearm plank on a mat in her home gym

Five Moves To Help You Stay in Shape on Vacation

Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or are heading out for longer vacation, it can be easy to let your healthy habits slip when you’re out of your normal routine. We get it – you’re short on time or may not have access to fitness equipment.

However, staying in shape while you’re on vacation isn’t as hard as it seems. All you need to do is focus on being intentional and getting movement in each day. Here are five basic moves to practice to stay in shape even on vacation.

Planks

plank exercise on vacation

Your core is the powerhouse of your body, and keeping it strong is vital for your overall health and fitness level. Thankfully, you don’t need any equipment to keep your core nice and strong - one of the best exercises you can do is the plank!

Practice the variation of plank you’re most comfortable with (forearms, straight-arm, or modified) for 45-60 seconds most days of your trip to keep your core strong, and to help you have the stamina to power through your vacation.

Push-Ups

push up exercise on vacation

The push-up is one of the best upper body exercises you can do, and is a great way to stay strong even if you don’t have access to any weights or equipment. To get the most out of this movement perform three sets of 10 push-ups at any variation that suits you best (incline, on knees, or on toes) most days of your trip to keep your upper body strong.

Body-weight Squats

The squat is one of the most beneficial movements for your body. In addition to keeping your glutes strong, squats help engage your core and help improve hip mobility, which is especially important if you’ve been spending a lot of time sitting while you have been traveling. While you won’t gain a ton of muscle performing them, body-weight squats can be really beneficial for keeping your hips mobile and your muscles engaged.

Perform three sets of 20 body-weight squats most days of your trip to keep the muscles of your lower body fired up, and don’t forget to squeeze your glutes at the top!

Glute Bridges

glute bridge exercise on vacation

Your posterior chain, also known as the muscles along the backside of your body, often don’t get enough love which can lead to postural issues and back pain. A great do-anywhere exercise that can help with this is the glute bridge. This exercise is a hip hinge, so focus on squeezing the glutes as you bend and extend at the hips. Do not worrying too much about getting your hips high in the air; just really concentrate on getting a good mind-to-muscle connection throughout the entire movement.

Perform three sets of 12 glute bridges most days of your trip to keep the backside of your body in tip top shape!

Downward Dog

Last but certainly not least, do not underestimate the power of stretching. Make sure to spend some time in downward-facing dog. Chances are, your hamstrings could use a good stretch if you spend a lot of time sitting during travel, or if you’ve spent a lot of time walking on your trip.

Spend 30-60 seconds each day in downward-facing dog to stretch the back, hamstrings, and calves and alleviate any tension that may have developed during your trip.