Five Moves You Need to Stay in Shape on Vacation

man doing one-leg plank while working out in front of a city with buildings

Whether you’re planning an early fall getaway or are heading on vacation over the holidays, 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.

Plank

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 moves you can do is the plank!

Practice the variation of plank you’re most comfortable with (forearms, straight-arm or modified) for 45 to 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-Up

The push-up is one of the best upper-body moves you can do, and it 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 Squat

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 Bridge

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 move that can help with this is the glute bridge. This movement is a hip hinge, so focus on squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement as you bend down and extend up at the hips. Do not worry 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 tiptop shape!

Downward-Facing 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 to 60 seconds each day in Downward-Facing Dog to stretch your back, hamstrings and calves and alleviate any tension that may have developed during your trip.

This post originally appeared on Precor.com.

Photo credit: Tempura, Getty Images