Hotel Room Workout: 20 Quiet Minutes, No Equipment

Travel throws every routine out of the window. A work trip, a week in a holiday let, three nights on your parents’ sofa bed at Christmas: suddenly there is no gym, no class, and a small room with a suitcase taking up half the floor. A hotel room workout is the answer, and it works just as well in a spare bedroom at your in-laws’ as it does in a Premier Inn.

Here is the small-space, no-equipment plan I give parents before they go away. It takes 15 to 25 minutes, needs roughly the space between the bed and the wall, and is quiet enough not to annoy the people downstairs.

The rules of a good hotel room workout

• Quiet. No jumping, no dropping to the floor. Thin walls and sleeping children (yours or other people’s) are a real thing.
• Small. You should be able to do everything within one step of where you start.
• Use the furniture, carefully. A bed edge, a desk chair, a wall and a towel are all you need. Test anything before you put weight on it, and never use a chair on wheels.
• Short. On holiday the goal is to maintain, not to set records. Twenty minutes, then go and enjoy your trip.

The 20-minute hotel room workout

Warm-up (4 minutes)

Do each for 40 seconds: march on the spot, arm circles, hip circles, slow bodyweight squats, standing knee hugs, and a gentle side bend each way. If you have been sitting on a plane or in the car for hours, take an extra minute here.

Main circuit (12 minutes)

Do 4 rounds of the circuit below. Each exercise is 30 seconds of work, then move straight to the next. Rest 30 seconds at the end of each round.

1. Bed-edge squat - stand in front of the bed, sit back until you touch the edge, stand up tall. Harder: slow five-second lowering, or single-leg if you are strong.
2. Desk or bed push-up - hands on the edge of the desk or bed frame, body straight. Harder: hands on the floor, or feet on the bed for a decline push-up.
3. Towel row - loop a towel round a sturdy door handle (close the door fully so it cannot swing), lean back and pull yourself in. Keep your body straight and step your feet closer to the door to make it harder. Only do this with a solid door that closes away from you.
4. Reverse lunge - alternate legs, holding the wall if you need to.
5. Wall sit - back flat on the wall, thighs as close to parallel as you can manage.
6. Plank shoulder taps - from a plank, tap each shoulder slowly without your hips swaying. Easier: knees down.

Quiet finisher (2 minutes)

Four rounds of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest: alternate between fast standing mountain climbers (drive the knees up while standing, arms pumping) and squat pulses. You will be out of breath, and nobody next door will hear a thing.

Cool-down (2 minutes)

Calf stretch against the wall, hip flexor stretch in a half kneel using a pillow under the knee, and a seated forward fold on the bed. Breathe slowly.

Short on time? The 8-minute version

When the kids are finally asleep in the travel cot and you have about ten minutes before you are asleep too, do this instead:

• 10 bed-edge squats
• 8 desk push-ups
• 8 reverse lunges each leg
• 30-second plank

Repeat as many times as you can in 8 minutes, moving smoothly. That is it. It still counts.

Tips for staying active away from home

• Train first thing. On trips, evenings fill up with dinners, family and tired kids. A morning session before breakfast is the one most likely to happen.
• Pack one item. A light resistance band weighs almost nothing and turns your towel rows and squats into proper strength work.
• Walk everywhere you can. Exploring a new city or seaside town on foot is easily an hour of activity a day.
• Use the stairs. Skip the lift. If you are on the fourth floor, that is a mini stair workout every time you go out.
• Be kind to yourself after travel days. After an early flight or a long drive with kids, a gentle stretch may be better than a hard session.

If your trip is a family holiday, my guide to active family holidays in the UK has ideas for getting everyone moving. And for festive visits, the Christmas holiday workout plan is built around exactly those days at relatives’ houses.

Back home: where bootcamp fits

Travel routines are about keeping ticking over. When you get back, the hardest bit is restarting, because a week off can easily become a month. That is one reason I like booking a class for the first few days after a trip. It gives you a fixed time, a coach and a group, so you are back into the habit before the jet lag has worn off.

If you have been sitting on planes, trains or in the car for hours, my SYP Unlock hip and back mobility class is a good way to loosen up before going back to harder training. For more no-kit routines to use at home between classes, see my no-equipment home workout.

FAQs

Can you get a good workout in a hotel room?

Yes. Bodyweight squats, lunges, push-ups, rows and planks train every major muscle group. Slowing the lowering phase or going single-leg makes them hard enough for most people, even without weights.

Is it rude to work out in a hotel room?

Not if you keep it quiet. Avoid jumping and dropping weights, and do not train late at night or very early if there are rooms below you.

Should I use the hotel gym instead?

If there is one and you have time, go for it. Many are small and busy at peak times, though, so a room routine is a handy back-up.

How do I stay motivated on holiday?

Set a small target before you go, such as three short sessions in a week, and plan when they will happen. Treat anything extra as a bonus.

Book your first class

Back from your trip and ready to restart? SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes in a weatherproof church hall in Archway N19, maximum 10 people, all fitness levels, £15 a class. I send the timetable as soon as you book. Book my £15 class, or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you travel a lot for work, my online coaching gives you a plan that comes with you wherever you are.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.