Top 10 Gym Bag Essentials

12Jan10

One of your New Year’s Resolutions may have been to make it to the gym more often, but how many times have you put it off because you didn’t have the right gear? How many times have you brought a T-shirt and not running shorts, or had to wash your hair with shower gel? Luckily, when you go more often and get into the routine of making sure your gym bag is packed, you get more comfortable and everything gets easier (that’s my theory, anyway). So without further ado, here is our list of gym bag essentials:

1. Shoes & 2. Socks (duh)
Obviously, you need to wear shoes and socks to the gym. The Shoe Dog at RoadRunner Sports will help you find the best shoes for your workout needs. (I love my NewBalance 920s!)

3. Clothes
I won’t even bother you with my own choice of clothing. You can find gym shorts and T-shirts and sweats everywhere you look. But, just as a word to the wise, I have discovered the best sports bra ever, the tata tamer from lululemon & also wear (under)Garment Guard as underwear under my yoga pants.

4. Water
Nalgene bottles are super-durable, and now available in BPA-free Tritan, which withstands temperatures from -40F to 212F without imparting any flavor or leaching chemicals into your water. You can open the OTG style bottle with one hand, so it’s the perfect reusable water bottle for on-the-go hydration. $11.99 for an indestructible bottle that will last a lifetime!

5. A Gym Towel
I use a plain old white kitchen towel because I can bleach it, although I like this Casabella Stay-Put Gym Towel, which has a hook for hanging and a pocket for a phone or mp3 player for $19.99 at Organize-It.com

6. Deodorant, Not Antiperspirant!
Sweat happens. Your body needs it. But you don’t have to stink. Here are 2 deodorants that actually work:

Old Spice Deodorant
Old Spice makes both Antiperspirant-Deodorant and just plain Deodorant. It’s best to make sure you’re buying just deodorant so that your body can sweat to rid itself of toxins and extra water. A 3.25 oz stick is $2.99 at drugstore.com.

Alba Botanica Deodorant
It’s a little more pricey, but it lasts forever and is free of nasty chemical additives. I personally love the Lavender Scent, which has tea tree oil, baking soda, and antibacterial alpine lichen, so it’s not just covering up stinky sweat, but actually neutralizing the cause of the odor. Available for $6.95 at albabotanica.com

7. Paper Shampoo, 8. Paper Body Wash & 9. Paper Soap
OK, you can bring your bottle of liquid shampoo if you really want to, but this takes up a lot less space. It’s also great for travel, and is just kind of nifty.
$4.95 for 30 sheets at wishingfish.com

10. Garment Guard: disposable underarm shields
Sure, everyone sweats at the gym, and you might not mind while you’re actually working out. But after you take your shower and put on fresh clothes, your body will still be sweating even though you and your mind are moving on to other things. With these, you won’t have to worry about sweat marks on post-gym clothing. Just move right along with your day. 5 pairs are available for $10.95 at www.solutionsthatstick.com. Bulk packs are also available.

Good Luck with the New Year’s workout plan

AZ

Filed under: exercise & fitness, general, products we love   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: general