3 Do-Anywhere Workouts to Stay Fit on the Go

Working out while traveling can be daunting. Sure, some hotels have beautiful gyms, but others offer nothing more than a couple of sad machines hunkering in a dark basement room the size of your carry-on suitcase. We have a much cheerier alternative.

Cari Shoemate, the co-creator of Bombshell Bootcamp in Houston, crafted three Oxygen-exclusive interval programs that incorporate strength work, cardio and plyometric moves to help you burn fat on the fly. “Interval training is really the best for fat burning, but there are other ways to challenge your muscles and get your heart rate up,” Shoemate says, noting that compound exercises — those that work multiple muscles — save time and expend more energy.

These workouts meet any goal or time constraint, use minimal equipment and can be done almost anywhere, from the quiet of your hotel room to the fresh green of a park. They are the perfect travel companions to keep you pool ready while on vacay — and will incinerate any decadent treats you might encounter along the way.

Do-Anywhere Workout 1: Knees Up

Time: 10 minutes

Equipment: Chair, table or step

Warm-Up

Superset (15 rounds)

Circuit (1 round)

High Knees

Run quickly in place, lifting your knees to hip height with each step and pumping your arms in opposition. Higher knees + faster pace = greater intensity.

Heisman Run

Stand in an athletic-ready position, feet together, knees slightly bent. Leap to the right and land on your outside foot, drawing your left knee up as you land, trying to touch your right elbow to your knee. Stabilize yourself and hold for a count, then continue, alternating sides.

Reverse Lunge With Skip-Up

Stand with your feet together, then step back with your right foot into a deep lunge, reaching your left hand to touch your left foot (not shown). Quickly stand upright and leap into the air, driving o your left foot and bringing your right knee up in front of you to hip height. Land softly and repeat right away. Do all reps on one side before switching.

Squat With Front Kick

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, legs turned outward, then drop your hips straight down and bend your knees into a squat, descending to parallel or below. Quickly extend your hips and knees and, as you return to standing, kick one leg in front of you — high, as if kicking a punching bag. Continue, alternating legs with each rep.

Triceps Dip With Knee Lift

Sit on a chair or table with your legs extended and your hands outside your hips, fingers forward. Straighten your elbows and slide forward to clear your glutes from the seat. Slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows until your arms form 90-degree angles. Pause, then extend your arms to return to the start, and at the top, lift one knee into your chest. Replace your foot, then continue, alternating knees.

Do-Anywhere Workout 2: Jump Strong

Time: 15 minutes

Equipment: Jump rope, chair, table or step

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

If you’ve got double-unders in your arsenal, now’s the time to break them out!

Gradually increase the intensity/rate of your jump roping so your first set hits around 5 out of 10 on the rate of perceived exertion scale and your last set is the hardest (10 out of 10).

Prisoner Squat With Ab Twist

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, legs turned slightly outward, and place your hands lightly behind your head, elbows flared, chest lifted. Perform a deep air squat, then stand and bring your right knee and left elbow in toward one another, crunching your abs and aiming to meet in the middle. Replace your foot and stand back up, then continue, alternating sides.

Incline/Decline Push-Up

For an incline push-up, put your hands on an elevated surface and your feet on the floor. For a decline push-up, put your hands on the floor and your feet on a raised surface.

Curtsy Lunge With Hip Abduction

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then step your left foot back and behind your right, keeping your hips square and bending both knees to 90 degrees. As you return to the start, lift your left leg straight out to the side and slightly in front of your body. Do all reps on one side before switching.

Do-Anywhere Workout 3: Band Camp

Time: 25 minutes

Equipment: Resistance band

Repeat the below circuit three times. Aim to power through without resting or take minimal 15- to 30-second breaks.

*To make this more challenging, turn it into a squat jack!

Combining upper- and lower-body movements burns maximal fat in minimal time.

Banded Squat With Shoulder Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the band handles at your shoulders, palms forward. Kick your hips back and squat down, then quickly extend your legs and press the handles overhead. Lower your hands to your shoulders and repeat.

Banded Woodchop

Get into a wide split stance with your forward foot on the center of a band, and hold the inside handle with both hands. Bend both knees to drop into a lunge, reaching your knuckles toward the floor inside your front foot, and as you stand, pull the handle up and across your forward leg, twisting through your torso and shoulders while keeping your hips square. Do all reps on one side before switching.

Tip: Adjust the resistance by playing with where you step on the band.

Narrow Squat Hold With Band Curl

Stand on the center of the band with your feet close together (but not touching), and hold an end in each hand. Kick your hips back and bend your knees to squat down until your hip crease passes your knees, chest lifted. Hold here and perform 30 biceps curls.

Tip: Increase the resistance by choking up on the band, making it shorter.

Banded Crunch

Secure the band around a solid anchor point and lie with your head toward the anchor, adjusting your distance to create tension in the band. Extend your arms along your sides and hold the handles firmly. Keep your arms straight as you perform a crunch, lifting your head, shoulders and upper back off the floor, then slowly returning to the start.