I can’t do my regular strength workouts when I’m on the road, so I tried this 15-minute full-body calisthenics workout instead

(Image credit: Shutterstock) The school summer holidays are in full swing, and for me that means a lot of traveling, mostly to visit family members who are very kindly providing childcare while I work.It’s a fun time, but travel is the enemy of a consistent fitness routine, in my experience. My main sport is running, which is easy enough to keep going wherever you are, but my regular strength sessions fall completely by the wayside when I’m away from home.My usual strength training schedule consists of a couple of short dumbbell workouts a week, but I don’t want to carry any equipment with me when traveling, so I turn to bodyweight sessions instead.This 15-minute calisthenics workout from fitness trainer Anna Engelschall (best known as growingannanas on YouTube) is exactly the kind of thing I like to do while traveling.It doesn’t require any kit or even that much space — you just need room to sidestep while standing and get into a plank position on the floor — and it works muscles all over the body while also getting the heart pumping.Watch GrowingAnnanas' 15-minute full-body calisthenics workout 15 MIN FULL BODY CALISTHENICS WORKOUT - Bodyweight Only, No Equipment - YouTube Watch On The workout contains 15 exercises, each of which you do for 50 seconds before resting for 10 seconds. At the end there’s a 40-second finisher, which I couldn’t do at all; more on that later.You don’t need any equipment for the session, but if you’re on a hard floor then rolling out a yoga mat will make many of the exercises more comfortable.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.I’d say this is an intermediate-level session, and because it contains a lot of push-ups and planks, those worried about putting pressure on their wrists and shoulders might need to adjust those moves.I slipped in the workout one lunchtime before a run; here’s what I made of it.It’s more about maintaining strength than building muscle (Image credit: Getty Images)Maintaining my current fitness is generally my main aim when traveling, rather than going all out to make big strength gains, and this workout fits the bill.I wasn’t maxing out or finishing any of the moves completely exhausted, but I felt the challenge of each exercise and ended the session confident I’d had a good workout.Rather than pushing myself in strength sessions while traveling, I find it better to try to stay consistent.The workout lives up to the full-body tag (Image credit: Shutterstock)It’s not a long workout, but Anna packs in a lot of different moves and each area of the body gets a good workout, with lots of squats and lunges to hit the lower body, push-ups for the upper body, and planks and sit-up variations for the core.Those looking to really hit their chest, arms and back will probably be better off with a more focused upper-body session, but I enjoyed the full-body approach of this workout.It’s a fast and sweaty workout (Image credit: Shutterstock)I sometimes enjoy short, slow strength workouts where I don’t even really need to change into gym clothes, but this is definitely one you’re going to sweat during.The pace is fast, so you pack in a lot of reps and don’t get long breaks; if you’re also doing it in the heat of summer like me, you’ll quickly get your heart pumping. It’s not an all-out HIIT session, but you’ll get some cardio fitness benefits alongside boosting strength.It focuses on classic moves (Image credit: Shutterstock)In keeping with the back-to-basics theme of the session, you do multiple variations of classic exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups and planks.This isn’t a workout where you’re going to try all manner of novel moves and challenge your body in new ways; it’s all about hitting the fundamentals hard for a short, effective full-body session.You might have to pick your own last move (Image credit: Shutterstock)I thought the workout was done after 15 minutes had ticked by, but Anna sprung a surprise with a 40-second crow pose finisher.For those not acquainted with the crow pose, it involves supporting your entire body on your hands, with your knees resting against your upper arms.I can do it for a few seconds before falling over, so I switched to a wall sit hold instead to round out my workout.Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. More from Tom's GuideI teach people to be more mobile in their 60s and 70s: 3 low-impact exercises you should start withForget burpees —the 'Pilates burpee' is beginner-friendly and low-impact (and you’ll love it)A yoga instructor says this is the 5-minute yoga routine you need for strong and mobile hips and core muscles Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.