25 Effective Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Posted by , Updated on March 24, 2024

Finding a good gym is not easy. Even if you do find one, you can’t take it with you when you travel. This doesn’t get you off the hook for breaking a sweat though. No matter what your situation – whether your hotel doesn’t have a weight room or you’re a journalist in hostile territory – we’re going to show you how to get in shape without the gear. We’ve tried to include a couple for each part of the body, but understand that this list is by no means exhaustive. Here are 25 Effective Exercises You Can Do Anywhere.
25

Divebombers

divebomber

Muscles worked: chest, shoulders, triceps, hamstrings, lower back

Although regular push-ups have their merits, and they are certainly on this list, we start off with one of their more intense variations – divebombers. Often done in the military, this exercise requires you to start in a piked position. You then lower your nose to the ground while maintain your arched position. Right before your nose hits the floor, flatten yourself out as if you are trying to slide under a bar and keeping your hips low to the ground drive your head upwards until you are looking straight ahead. Finally, do everything in reverse until you are back at the starting position. That was one divebomber pushup.

24

Bear Crawls

bear crawls

Muscles worked: all of them (almost)

While this may not be the best workout to do in your hotel room, that’s what hallways are for (at least until someone calls the police). The risk is worth it though, as this dynamic exercise works everything from your shoulders to your quads. And the best part? It’s easy to explain – just get on all fours and start crawling as fast as you can. But remember, these aren’t baby crawls…they’re bear crawls, and bears don’t crawl with their knees on the ground (at least we’re pretty sure).

23

Table Rows

table

Muscles worked: back, biceps, abs

Okay, so this is the first of several exercises on this list that you can’t really do anywhere. Depending on your level of creativity though, you can get pretty close. All you need is a table, a low bar, or something else you can slide under and hold onto. Now, pull yourself upwards towards the tabletop. Rows are a very effective back exercise and this is probably the closest you’ll get to doing them on the road.

22

Lunges

lunges

Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings

This is probably one of the best leg workouts you are going to get without a gym, and luckily its pretty straightforward. All you have to do is take a large step with one foot and bend your knee to a 90 degree angle (as in the image above). Although you can walk forward with each lunge, you don’t have to. You can stay in the same spot if you want and just keep switching legs.

21

1 Leg Wallsit

wallsit

Muscles worked: quads

If you have a wall handy, then prepare to destroy your quadriceps with this intense exercise. There isn’t much to explain, but if you can’t do one leg, do two.

20

Jumping Jacks

jumping jacks

Muscles worked: calves, hip abductors, hip adductors

While there is no need get into the “how” of jumping jacks, as we assume everyone is familiar with the mechanics, familiarity breeds contempt and this workout is often overlooked for its perceived simplicity. It’s an amazing warm up though, and if you are having trouble finding space to run/jog, a thousand jumping jacks make for an excellent cardio workout.

19

Pull Ups

pull ups

Muscles worked: lats, traps, biceps, rhomboids, deltoids

Depending on your grip (overhand, underhand, spread), you are essentially working out your entire back. Like table rows, however, this exercise requires something for you to grab.

18

Calf Raises

calf raises

Muscles worked: calves

This exercise targets one muscle – your calves. You don’t need much space to do it, but if you find a slight ledge, as in the image above, it will allow you to have a greater range of motion.

17

Shoulder Circles

circles

Muscles worked: deltoids

Although at first glance this exercise may seem trivial, beggars can’t be choosers. If you want to work out your shoulders without a gym, you need to improvise. Besides, after thousands of shoulder circles, we guarantee you that you’ll feel it. If you don’t though, put something in your hands.

16

Box Jumps

box jumps

Muscles worked: quads, calves, hamstrings

This is a dynamic exercise that only requires an elevated surface. Once you figure that part out, you’re ready to break a serious sweat. Just jump up onto the box/park bench/bed/etc. and then jump down again. Repeat this until your lower body is destroyed.

15

Back Extensions

back extensions

Muscles worked: lower back

Laying on your stomach, pull your head and upper back off the ground. Hold it for a second as you focus on contracting your back muscles and then lower yourself back down. Cycle through this several times, and you should feel a pretty good workout, especially in your lower back.

14

Decline Pushups

decline push ups

Muscles worked: upper chest

As we promised, here is yet another push-up variation. All you have to do is find an elevated surface to rest your feet on and then proceed with push-ups as normal. The advantage of these is that they specifically target your upper chest, and depending on the degree of incline, your shoulders as well.

13

Jump Squats

jump squats

Muscles worked: quads, calves, hamstrings

Here is yet another powerful lower body workout. If you failed to find that perfect elevated surface for your box jumps, fear not, jump squats to the rescue. With your hands behind your head, proceed with a regular squat and once you reach your lowest point, explode upwards, jumping off the ground. Repeat.

12

Spiderman Pushups

spiderman push ups

Muscles worked: chest, triceps, abs

We promise we’re at least half way through the push-up variations. They are extremely effective and work numerous muscles groups so bare with us. Spiderman push-ups involve you emulating the superhero’s wall climbing movements as you are doing push-ups on the ground. Basically, every time you lower yourself, one of your knees will come up and tap your elbow.

11

Chair Dips

three chairs

Muscles worked: triceps

This is the only exercise on our list that is designed to deliberately target the triceps. In order to maximize the effect, if you can find a surface to raise your legs off the ground, the intensity of the workout is compounded.

10

Leg Raises

leg raises

Muscles worked: abs

Your core is the most important part of your musculoskeletal system for obvious reasons (it’s right in the middle of your body), and leg raises are one of several exercises on this list designed to target this muscle group. You may find that they work out your quads as a secondary muscles group too.

9

Planks

Side_Plank

Muscles worked: abs, back, shoulders

No, this is not the planking trend, it’s an actual exercise. To do this exercise you have to hold yourself up off the ground. You can also modify the exercise by turning to the side and holding yourself on one elbow. This is one of the best things you can do for your core.

8

Glute Bridges

bridge

Muscles worked: abs, glutes, hamstrings

If one foot is too hard, use two feet. Whatever you do, make sure you include this exercise in your gymless workout. It is the only one on this list that targets your glutes and hamstrings.

7

Crunches

crunches

Muscles worked: abs

Here we have yet another group of exercises designed to target your abs. Although normal crunches are super effective by themselves, there are numerous variations that you can try in order to hit your oblique abdominals as well (bicycle crunches above).

6

Mountain Climbers

mountain climbers

Muscles worked: all of them (almost)

While this is primarily a cardiovascular workout, it works a number of muscles in the process. It can be a bit hard to describe, but in order to start this exercise you need to assume a push-up position. Now you are going to alternate bringing your legs up towards you hands. Keep doing this until you feel the burn.

5

1 Leg Squats

one leg squat

Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings

If doing a one-legged squat seems intimidating, don’t worry, it’s not as crazy as it seems. Start off by using a chair and then gradually wean yourself off of it.

4

Sprints

sprints

Muscles worked: heart, lower body

Finding a good spot to run while you are on the road is not easy. You don’t know the area, and if you’re in a bad part of town, it may just be best to stay in your hotel room. Oh well, so much for cardio. No! Quit that defeatist attitude. It’s back to the hallway…we’re doing sprints.

3

Shrugs

shrugs

Muscles worked: traps

Your traps (neck muscles) are one of the hardest parts of your body to target without having some sort of weight in your hands. In fact, unless you can find some parallel bars, hang from them upside down, and do “inverted pullups” you are going to need to improvise. The easiest thing you can do is stuff your suitcase and use that as a stand-in dumbbell.

2

Handstand Pushups

Handstand_pushup

Muscles worked: shoulders, triceps, abs

This is one of those workouts that will probably leave most people thinking, “yeah, right.” It’s really not that bad, though. If you can’t hold a handstand, find a door or a wall to support your legs. Also, put a pillow between your hands just in case you come down and find yourself unable to push back up. If you can’t go down at all though, that’s fine. Just try to hold a handstand.

1

Burpees

burpees

Muscles worked: everything

If you don’t know what a burpee is then all your childhood coaches must have had very kind hearts. They are the bane of every athlete’s existence, but there is a reason for that – they are extremely effective. As in the image above, you start by squatting down. Next, shoot your feet out in to a push-up position and guess what? That’s right, do a push-up. Now bring your feet back under you and explode upwards reaching as high as you can. That’s one burpee…but don’t stop there.



Photo: Featured Image - Pixabay.com (Public Domain), 1. U.S. Air Force Command Central (Public Domain), 2. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 3. BruceBlaus, Exercise Neck Shrugs, CC BY-SA 4.0 , 4. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 5. Ramstein Air Base (Public Domain), 6. U.S. Air Force Central Command (Public Domain), 7. PhotoAtelier, Lauren doing crunches, CC BY 2.0 , 8. Everkinetic, Bridge-1, CC BY-SA 3.0 , 9. Jaykayfit, Side Plank, CC BY-SA 3.0 , 10. Everkinetic, Leg-raises-1, CC BY-SA 3.0 , 11. PublicDomainPictures.net (Public Domain), 12. Pinterest.com (Fair Use: Illustrative Purposes Only), 13. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chris Jones/Released (Public Domain), 14. Join Base San Antonio (Public Domain), 15. WikipediaCommons.com (Public Domain), 16. 509th Bomb Wing Airman challenges mind and body (Public Domain), 17. Everkinetic, Ball-wall-circles-1, CC BY-SA 3.0 , 18. Everkinetic, Standing-calf-raises-2, CC BY-SA 3.0 , 19. Parker Michael Knight from Beaverton, Oregon, USA, Women doing pull-ups, CC BY 2.0 , 20. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Lake (Public Domain), 21. pixabay (Public Domain), 22. pexels (Public Domain), 23. Jacklee, Singapore Surrender table, Singapore History Gallery, National Museum of Singapore - 20151125-02, CC BY-SA 4.0 , 24. Little Rock Air Force Base (Public Domain), 25. Pinterest.com (Fair Use: Illustrative Purposes Only)