July 17, 2026, 7:01 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The view of the sea is breathtaking, the delicious breakfast buffet is tempting–only the gym is missing. For many, this is the moment when training falls by the wayside or is cut short until the return home. However, summer vacation doesn’t have to be a forced break from personal fitness. Simple exercises in the hotel room can train the entire body. FITBOOK author Tony Poland spoke with personal trainer Markus Bremen about this.
No gym, little time, an unfamiliar daily routine–on vacation, regular training quickly takes a back seat. With your own body weight, some creativity, and just 20 minutes, almost any hotel room can be transformed into a small gym. Staying active during vacation not only benefits your muscles but also supports circulation, metabolism, and well-being.
20-Minute Workout Without Equipment
Personal trainer Markus Bremen knows from experience that many people underestimate this surprisingly large range of possibilities. “Many think that without a gym, nothing can be done on vacation–but the body only needs three things for an effective training stimulus: a little time, your own body weight, and some creativity. A hotel room already offers more possibilities than most people think,” he says.
For an effective workout, you don’t need dumbbells or expensive equipment. The fitness expert recommends a simple full-body circuit that can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes. Five rounds with as short breaks as possible between exercises and a one-minute break between rounds are enough to challenge muscles and the cardiovascular system equally. The plan includes:
- 10 squats
- 10 push-ups
- 10 lunges per leg
- Plank (20 to 30 seconds)
- 10 repetitions of a rowing variation for the back
The exercises target almost all major muscle groups and can be easily adapted to individual fitness levels–for example, through easier or more challenging variations.
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“It sounds simple, but when done correctly and with speed, you can really work up a sweat,” says Bremen. The exercises target almost all major muscle groups and can be easily adapted to individual fitness levels. Especially on vacation, it’s not about setting personal records but about regularly challenging the body and maintaining the training routine. The short time commitment makes it easy to fit the workout in before breakfast or in the evening after a long day of sightseeing or at the beach.
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Optimally Use the Hotel Room With a Towel and Mini Band
Exercises for the back are also possible without a gym. Markus Bremen recommends a simple trick: “Wedge a towel into the top of the door frame and close the door, tying a knot at the end of the towel–you now have an improvised pull handle for back exercises.” With rowing movements, you can train the back muscles, addressing an area often neglected in classic bodyweight training.
The hotel room gym becomes even more versatile with the following tool. “I always have a mini band or strength band with me–it weighs nothing, fits in any luggage, and replaces almost all cable equipment from the gym,” reveals the personal trainer. “With it, you can target shoulders, glutes, and back without relying on weights.” Regular travelers invest in one of the most practical fitness gadgets with such a band.
Train Consistently Rather Than Perfectly on Vacation
Many athletes often make the mistake of trying to maintain their usual training routine even on vacation. However, this is often neither necessary nor sensible. “What many underestimate: Traveling often strains the body–different time zones, changed eating habits, often poorer sleep,” the expert knows and emphasizes: “You don’t need to try to make up for the full gym routine.” A short, intense workout is often more effective than expected–it’s more important to stay active and not burden the nervous system with additional stress from training pressure, says Markus Bremen.