When most people go on vacation or travel, it becomes an excuse to slack on their exercise routines. However, it is important to take care of our bodies all of the time! This list of portable exercise equipment will give you some ideas of how you can implement fitness into your vacations!
Now, I’m not saying you need to run a marathon every morning of your vacation. In fact, I am a proponent of taking a little break from fitness while traveling!
Sometimes your body needs a little break, and that’s ok! However, you might crave some movement if you are used to working out often.
But, you are obviously not going to pack dumbbells in your suitcase, so how can you get a good workout in on the go? Luckily there are tons of ways to break a sweat with minimal equipment!
Even if you just move your body for 15 minutes in the morning before sightseeing for the day, that can be enough to energize you and get your body feeling good (especially after indulging in lots of tasty treats and drinks!)
Staying active on vacation will maintain some normalcy in your travel routines, especially if you are used to exercising every day. If you are not used to exercising every day, you can always take a quick walk or do some stretching!
This list of portable exercise equipment will give you some ideas on how to implement more physical activity into your travel routines! They are also small and light enough to pack in your suitcase or duffel bag!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Resistance bands are probably the best portable exercise equipment you can easily pack for vacations! They are SUPER lightweight so you can pack them without taking up too much room in your suitcase.
You can complete a full-body workout with just one band, making them a great workout-on-the-go tool! You can also use them for stretching, strength training, physical therapy, pilates, and more!
I actually own this resistance band set, which comes with 5 different resistance levels to fit your fitness needs. I use them ALL the time during my workouts, as they provide resistance for strength training without needing to use dumbbells!
There are tons of guides that give you different exercises you can use with these resistance bands, so your exercises will never get boring! Many fitness videos also use resistance bands as part of their routines. Put on a Youtube video in your hotel room, and you’ve got yourself an intense workout for the day!
In addition to resistance loops, you can also get resistance bands. They are essentially the same thing, except they are much longer and are not a loop. Because of this, you can do different exercises than you could with the loops.
They are also very lightweight and easy to pack, so you could bring these and the loops if you want! I personally have this set, which gives you 3 different bands with different resistance levels.
These bands are great for stretching and strength training. Just like with the loops, you can use these while doing a Youtube workout video, which is perfect for hotel rooms workouts.
Exercise sliders are another wonderful portable exercise equipment tool you can easily pack in your suitcase and use practically anywhere! I own a set of exercise sliders and I am still shocked by how many exercises you can do with them!
From abs to legs, to arms, you can workout practically any part of your body! Plus, they are lightweight and easy to pack, so you can use them in your hotel room or anywhere you can get some movement in.
You can use exercise sliders on carpet, hardwood, tile, at the gym, and practically any surface, so you have no excuse not to use them! You can use these as part of a workout video, or just do singular exercises with them on your own!
Another one of my favorite portable exercise equipment you can travel with is an exercise ball! You might be thinking that they are bulky and how can you travel with an exercise ball?!
Well, just deflate it! Exercise balls are pretty flat and compact without the air inside of them. Simply pack your deflated ball in your bag or suitcase, and remember to pack the pump as well.
Once you get to your destination, you can just blow it up and that’s it! Now you can use the ball to do tons of different exercises and stretches, right in the comfort of your hotel room!
Another portable exercise equipment you can easily pack for vacations is an agility ladder! These are surprisingly small, lightweight, and compact, making it perfect for you to pack in a suitcase or duffel bag for your trip!
These are great for practicing speed and agility drills, building leg strength, endurance, and balance! Plus, most people don’t exercise this way, so it can bring some new and exciting workouts into your fitness routine!
You can lay this practically anywhere to get some exercise in – your hotel floor, outside, or in the hallway! The number of calories you will burn with this will surprise you!
If you are looking to exercise on the go, yoga socks might be for you! Even if you don’t practice yoga, they are great for working out without shoes. I personally don’t wear shoes when I workout at home and these become very useful to keep my balance while exercising!
If you want to workout in the hotel room, you might not have a yoga mat since they are pretty bulky to travel with. You could lay a towel down on the floor, but that slips and slides. By having yoga socks, you have plenty more opportunities to practice yoga, pilates, or whatever else you want to do to get your sweat on!
Additionally, yoga is a great way to practice being a mindful traveler. Travel can be stressful, so taking time to care for your body and mind can have tons of benefits!
This one is one of my favorite travel exercise equipment ideas! Have you ever heard of an indoor jump rope? Well, it is essentially a jump rope without the rope!
We all know jumping rope gets your heart rate going and the sweat dripping. So, why not do it for even just 10 minutes in your hotel room? Without having the rope, you won’t have to worry about having enough space to workout without hitting anything or anyone.
With this indoor jump rope, you can jump rope practically anywhere! Plus, you don’t have to get frustrated when you keep tripping on the rope 🙂
If you don’t have this jump rope, you can always just pretend you are holding one!
Other Ways to Exercise on Vacation
If you forgot your travel exercise equipment, or you are looking for something more simple, you are in luck. Even without equipment, there are tons of ways you can work on your fitness when traveling. Here are some ideas:
- Take a morning or evening walk on the beach
- Follow along with a Youtube “no equipment” workout video
- Hit up the hotel gym- they are often hardly ever used, very clean, and high-quality equipment!
- Do some laps in the pool (before all the kids get in there!)
- Schedule some physical activities into your itinerary, like hiking
- Take a walk before everyone wakes up in the morning
- Do some high knees or jumping jacks to spike your heart rate throughout the day
- Use what you’ve got! Have a heavy suitcase or bag? Why not use that as a weight?!
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Let us know in the comments if you have any other suggestions for portable exercise equipment you can travel with! We would love to hear from you!
