I travel light to the gym. Often it’s just me, my water bottle and my car keys, which I squirrel away in the corner of the gym and hope that my car is still there when I leave because a walk home on leg-day doesn’t sound too fun. Sometimes though if I’m planning on staying longer than just a short and sweet cardio session I do take bag with me which contains a few essentials that I miss whenever I forget to pack them (note to self: leave your gym things in the damn bag woman). The bag in question is one from Shop Anomie which I find is the perfect size for gym stuff. It’s not huge so doesn’t look like I’m lugging around a bag of golf clubs, plus it’s sports branding-free so it doesn’t yell ‘I’VE JUST BEEN TO THE GYM!‘ when I do a food shop after I’ve been (though I’m sure the beetroot shade of my complexion and the fact my hair has curled up with sweat at the back of my head does that). What’s inside? Let me show you…
A WATER BOTTLE. An essential for obvious reasons. I had a Nike one that I used until recently when I stupidly left it soaking in the sink along with a bowl that I’d made a tomato and garlic sauce in. It’s now stained permanently orange and doesn’t smell too fresh either. Any water bottle suggestions are welcomed.
HAIRBANDS & DRY SHAMPOO. I don’t bother to take any beauty bits and bobs to the gym with me as I always get ready at home, but a hairband is essential or else my hair just starts to flop around and by the end of my session I want to pull a Britney and shave it all off. The dry shampoo step comes in handy when I get home and if it’s a day where I don’t have much to do and I don’t really want to wash my hair (again!). I shower, then give my hair a quick blast of the hairdryer before popping in a few spritzes of COLAB. It’s kinda gross, but works on über lazy days and it can be our little secret. Shhhh.
PHONE & HEADPHONES. It’s amazing what a YouTube video can do when you’re on the StairMaster – 15 minutes feels more like five. It’s also very handy for when you just want to listen to some old school Ja Rule and 50 Cent and make up your own spinning routines on the bike. Been there, done that, looked like a nutter just spinning away on my own.
TRAINING GLOVES. I haven’t found the perfect pair yet, but these ones from Nike are alright for now even though they’re a little bit slippery so not fab for anything that involves me hanging around (literally). Some people love gloves, others not so much; I just like to have them on hand for when my palms start to feel like the temperature of the sun.
EXERCISE ROUTINE & PEN. Don’t forget to bring any routine notes you have, whether it be on paper or on your phone. If it’s on paper then don’t forget a pen too so you can note down what weight you used and all that jazz. I always forget these (note to self again!).
FOOD. If I know that I’m not heading straight home after the gym, then some kind of food is essential or else I may just start gnawing away on my fist. If it’s in the morning I rustle up some kind of Protein Pancake, yogurt and berry concoction that travels surprisingly well, but if it’s in the afternoon then I pack a tuna pasta salad (which I eat in the car… alone) or a handful of my Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Balls. Any of these make it easier to pass the ice cream parlour without stopping on the way home. I know – that’s the ultimate test of willpower right there.
Comments