5 X sports items

to pack in your suitcase

I go on a trip and take stuff along. Wherever I go, I always begin with packing my sports clothes and training shoes. Liesbeth would say to me, “Hey, aren’t you going on holiday?” but I actually find a sport session relaxing and anyhow, an hour’s jogging is the best way to explore a city. I understand that you don’t want to weigh your bag down with sports gear, but here are a few items that can help create a pretty good workout.

good shoes

There are enough attractive trainers around that you can get away with wearing during the day (BTW, don’t let May know), so that leaves some room in your bag. But good shoes are really vital for a good workout. So do pack them.

jump rope

10 minutes of skipping (sounds short, but is awfully long and sore muscles are guaranteed. Doutzen keeps it up for 35 minutes) and you’ve got your daily holiday workout over and done with. It’s good for fitness, burning fat and gives you beautifully lean and taut legs. You can do it outdoors or in your hotel room. But be considerate of guests in the room below you.

ear plugs

I always have them with me. Handy for in the hotel gym or during a run.

Yoga towel

Then you’ll always have your own towel should you want to attend a yoga class somewhere. This is a special towel for laying over a yoga mat and that can be folded very compactly. Also handy if there’s no mat, or when the yoga lesson is on the beach.

a gym stick or exercise band

This is a sort of elastic cable that be easily rolled up for packing. It’s easy to do leg and arm exercises with it. Hup, cable around your legs and you’re ready for doing lunges for instance.