Make a splash
Your fellow holidaymakers might not appreciate the sight of your tackle squeezed into a pair of circulation-sapping trunks, but they’re not preparing for a brutal pre-season, and the benefits of swimming are endless. When you’re submerged in water up to your neck you only have to bear 10 per cent of your own weight, enabling you to work out without impacting your joints. Slog through 10 minutes of breaststroke and you’ll burn 60 calories. Half an hour should do it.
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Let the detractors laugh at your bouncing moobs – if you want to boost your endurance before training resumes, find time for skipping in between the sangrias and cervezas. Skipping at 130 revolutions per minute is the equivalent of running at six miles an hour, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Punch those figures into the exercise machine and you’ll find that a 20-minute skip is the same as running for two miles. Make this your daily jump-rope routine.
Hacky Sacks aren’t just for fire-breathing hippies; in fact, a footballer was at the heart of its creation. In 1972 injured ‘soccer’ player John Stalberger was recovering from knee surgery when he came across Mike Marshall performing intricate tricks with a handmade beanbeag. The pair joined forces and the footbag went global. If you can master juggling one for 20 minutes a day, you should be able to control a full-sized ball. And shift some flab.
They may look strange, but don’t let that put you off these quirky barefoot trainers. The sock-like construction of the Adipure 1.1 flexes with your foot so your feet can adapt to any terrain. Which means they’ll support almost any sweaty seaside exertions, including a leg-pumping superset combining a 10-minute run, 50 star jumps, 50 squat thrusts and 50 push-ups. Rest for two minutes between sets, (three sets in total). End by striding to the bar in your rubber feet.
Frisbee has its risks, but the rewards are there for those who can avoid taking the head off a kid. According to exercise.com, a half-hour of Frisbee can burn 102 calories and your brain also gets a workout. The game calls for “spatial aptitude”, “to read its projected path”, and “quick, accurate decision-making”, says Dr Michael J Norden, the University of Washington’s professor of psychiatry. Not even the Jabulani could deceive you after a summer of catching a wobbly flying disc.
The Adidas Adipure trainer 1.1 shoe is available at adidas.com, while all other equipment featured in the suitcase can be purchased from sportsdirect.com
