If you’re the traveler who frequents hotels often and you really do need to use the fitness centers, you probably already know how difficult it can be to find the high-quality equipment you’re used to using. Many hotels, if they have a fitness center at all, are limited in the equipment they offer – you might be lucky to find a treadmill, stationary bike, and maybe a couple free weights or dumbbells. While the finest hotels and best resorts indeed offer all the latest state-of-the-art equipment that covers everything from your head to your feet, others may not. However, it doesn’t mean you have to settle for a less-than-effective workout when you’re a hotel guest. Following are some things you can do to enjoy maximum results away from home:

  1. Opt for muscle-lengthening exercises, or eccentric training. If your hotel fitness center has dumbbells, grab a 20- or 30-pound one and do ten reps of bottom-to-floor goblet squats, and then take a one-minute break. Do them again, with a three-second count on the way down, and explode on the way back up. It’s all about slow control of the weight.
  2. Squats are your friend; that is, exercises like single-leg quad-dominant movements, such as lunges and step-ups instead of barbell deadlifts, are ideal. When you do reps of these types of lunges and squats, you’ll for sure find that it’ll be a bit difficult to walk to breakfast in the morning!
  3. Never underestimate the value of good old-fashioned mobility work, like foam rolling and dynamic stretches. Take the time to roll out those knots in your upper back, and get in some wall hip flexor mobilizations, bowler squats, side-lying windmills, and Spiderman lunges with hip lifts.

If you’re planning to travel away from home and exercising is a big part of your life, you’ll be glad if you take the time to search out the hotel or resort with the best fitness room for you. Look for one that has the ellipticals, treadmills, stair climbers, and weight machines that you love. Search out the free weights and the long bars that you depend on. In the event that you can’t find what you need, despite your best efforts, you can still get a great workout using the above ideas and exercises!