In an ideal world, all of us would go for our daily 30-minute walks, hit the gym twice each week for some resistance training and take part in recreational physical activity that brings us joy and positively impacts our health and overall well-being. Unfortunately, life gets hectic and other priorities sometimes take over. Whether you are traveling and staying in a hotel room or simply unable to make it to the gym on a particular day, this body-weight circuit provides a quick cardio and resistance-training workout that can help keep you on track and feeling positive about pursuing your physical activity–related goals.  

It’s important to note that this style of workout is a great option not only as a backup plan but also as the centerpiece of an effective total-body resistance-training regimen that also delivers cardio benefits in a short amount of time. You can modify the workouts as needed to align with your goals and exercise preferences. 

This total-body sample workout takes 20 minutes to complete and is an excellent choice if you are simply missing a day at the gym or are looking for a way to sneak a few short workouts in while traveling for work, for example.  

Complete this workout for three rounds with little to no rest between exercises. Each round will take approximately six minutes, so adding one minute of rest at the end of each round of exercises will create a 20-minute workout. If you don’t have the full 20 minutes available, complete as many rounds as possible based on your available time. Keep in mind, some exercise is always better than none!

Total Body Body-weight Workout

You could also create a split routine where you alternate upper- and lower-body workouts and complete four or more workouts each week, being sure to alternate between upper and lower body. This is a great option if you know you may be away from your normal routine for a week or more. For these workouts, each round takes approximately four and a half minutes to complete, so completing three rounds with 30 seconds of rest between rounds creates a 15-minute workout.

Lower-body Body-weight Workout 

Upper-body Body-weight Workout 

Final Thoughts  

Lack of time—or a perceived lack of time—is arguably the most common reason reported for not engaging in physical activity. Finding balance among life’s usual obligations, such as work and family routines, while still devoting time to health and physical activity, can often be difficult. This type of quick-hit workout that you can perform at home, in the park or in a hotel room may be just the thing to keep you on track. 

Visit the ACE Exercise Library to explore effective exercises categorized by body part, experience level and equipment availability. For each exercise, you’ll find a detailed explanation of proper form, along with photo or video demonstrations.