7 top tips to keep fit while travelling

Clive Payne, Founder of TBKFiT, gives his top tips for staying fit while travelling, including the best portable kit to take with you… 

When I’m away on business, exercise becomes even more important – not less. Travel can be physically draining. Long periods of sitting, changes in routine, different food, disrupted sleep – it all adds up. I’ve found that keeping some form of movement in my day helps me stay energised, focused and balanced.

Even a short workout can boost energy levels, improve focus and productivity, reduce stiffness from travelling, help maintain strength and fitness, and keep you feeling good mentally. It doesn’t have to be long or intense. Consistency is what counts.

Here are a few tips to take with you on your travels:

1. Keep it simple and be flexible

The biggest mistake people make is thinking they need to replicate their full gym routine while travelling. You don’t.

When I travel, I strip things back. I focus on short, effective sessions that I can do anywhere: a hotel room, outside, or even in a small apartment space. Flexibility is everything.

Some days I might train for 20 minutes. Other days it might just be 10. Sometimes it’s structured, sometimes it’s just movement. But I always do something.

2. Choose portable kit that suits you

Over the years, I’ve tested a lot of different travel-friendly fitness tools. The key is finding equipment that’s lightweight, compact, and versatile.

Here’s what I personally rely on:

Resistance bands take up almost no space but allow you to train your full body. You can use them for upper body (rows, presses, curls), for lower body (squats, glute work), and for mobility and stretching. They’re perfect when you want to add resistance without weights.

If I need quick cardio, a skipping rope is my go-to. Just a few minutes of skipping gets your heart rate up fast, improves co-ordination, and burns calories efficiently. It’s ideal when you’re short on time or space.

And TRiBOXKiNG is something I use a lot personally. It’s lightweight, easy to pack, and you can set it up pretty much anywhere: a hotel room, balcony, garden, or even a park. What I like about it is that it combines cardio, coordination and reaction speed.

3. Don’t underestimate bodyweight training

Even without equipment, you can get a solid workout in with squats, lunges, push-ups, planks and mountain climbers.

I’ll often put these into a quick circuit – a 15-minute hotel room workout might be:

• 15 squats
• 10 push-ups
• 20 lunges (10 each leg)
• 30-second plank
• 20 mountain climbers

Repeat 3–5 rounds. No equipment, no excuses.

4. Use your environment

One of the best parts about travelling is that your surroundings change, and you can use that to your advantage.

I’ve trained on hotel balconies, in parks, on the beach, using stairs for cardio, and even in small hotel rooms with limited space. Stairs are massively underrated. A quick stair session can replace a full cardio workout. And if I’ve got time, I’ll go for a run or a long walk. It’s one of the best ways to explore a new place while staying active.

5. Pack smart

A lot of my gym clothes double up as everyday wear: lightweight shorts, breathable t-shirts, comfortable trainers, and even pyjama bottoms can double up.

This means I’m always ready to train without needing a separate outfit. It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference. If it’s easy, you’re more likely to do it.

6. Use online workouts and apps

Not every session has to be self-led. There are so many great online workouts now that you can follow anywhere: quick HIIT sessions, yoga or mobility classes, strength workouts or guided circuits.

Sometimes I’ll just put on a 10–20 minute session and follow along. It removes the thinking and keeps things structured.

7. Train early

If there’s one habit that’s helped me stay consistent while travelling, it’s to train early in the day. Once the day gets going, it becomes much harder to fit it in.

Even a quick session before breakfast sets the tone for the day, boosts energy and gets it done with no excuses. It doesn’t have to be long. Just start.

It’s not about perfection

When I travel, I don’t expect to train exactly how I would at home. That’s unrealistic. Instead, I focus on staying active, keeping momentum and doing what I can with what I have.

Maintaining your fitness is much easier than rebuilding it from scratch. So just ensure you keep moving and consistently do something every day, however small.

Travelling doesn’t mean your fitness routine has to stop. With the right approach, you can stay active anywhere without a gym, without heavy equipment, and without overcomplicating it.

For me, it comes down to:

• Keeping things simple
• Using portable tools like resistance bands or TRiBOXKiNG
• Making the most of your environment
• Staying flexible
• And most importantly, just showing up. Even if it’s just 10 minutes.

The small efforts all add up. And when you get back home, you’ll be glad you kept going.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clive Payne is a fitness innovator and home training specialist, and the founder of TBKFiT.