No one really likes to carry around mountains of luggage when travelling. Sure, it’s fine to return home with a few extra suitcases after a splurge on the Champs-Élysées but who wants to carry it all around that whole time? My packing motto is pack 20% less than you think you’ll need, then review and cull again. I’ve never had a problem because I know I can always buy stuff where I’m headed. Given that adding additional bits and bobs to your luggage isn’t ideal, any item for your portable fitness kit must be small, light and ideally low-cost. You could try adding these three to your kit:

1. Tennis ball

Find yourself a firm tennis ball. These hardly weigh a thing and take up very little room in your luggage. Your tennis ball can be used for a great little massage treatment without the cost of a therapist. Try rolling the ball under the soles of your feet after long walks. Try rolling your chest muscles and upper back muscles if you’ve been carrying a backpack or working at a desk all day. You can even massage your glutes (your butt muscles). In fact the tennis ball will work just about anywhere.

Of course your tennis ball is also great for an impromptu ball game. At about $1 each, they’re not exactly expensive.

2. Skipping rope

Your trusty skipping rope is possibly the lightest fitness tool and it can give your cardiovascular and metabolic systems a cracking workout. You can use your skipping rope in the hotel gym, just about anywhere outdoors and – maybe – in your room. Skipping ropes can be found for a round $5 so they’re certainly low cost.

3. Notebook

The notebook is often the forgotten part of the traveller’s fitness kit. It is very important to record your training results so you have data with which to make decisions about your ongoing training. A simple notebook allows you to record the details of exercise, nutrition, sleep and any other aspects of your fitness training that you think necessary to record. Your notebook can double as a travel journal. Who know? You might end up exercising some place amazing and want to capture it all in words.

Notebooks can also be found where you travel to, so perhaps you don’t even have to pack one. You should be able to pick up a small notebook for well under $5.

All done under $10

Not bad. A portable fitness kit for under $10. It will keep you supple, fit and in control of your training. And it’s oh so simple.

Photo by Ramasamy Chidambaram.

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