What’s In My Gym Bag?

Now I’m just going to come out and say it…..I haven’t been to the gym pretty much the entirety of summer–I’ve been eating pizza and netflixing at night working out from home instead. But when I do frequent the gym on campus during the semesters, my bag is pretty packed with gym necessities for a good workout sesh. 😉 So take out your own gym bag, and let’s compare! Xo

I know I know... a TON of stuff fits into that bag, but it’s seriously all essential for a quality gym sesh. I’m currently carrying:

>> One swimsuit, 2 pairs of goggles, and this Speedo swim cap for when I do laps to crosstrain.
>> My favorite orange Camelback waterbottle (not pictured)
>> Gaiam yoga strap for getting the most out of my stretches.
>> My “I Sweat Glitter” pouch, which is probably the most adorable thing I have in my gym bag. I love anything quirky like that! It holds my chapstick, energy chews, bars, sunscreen (if I’m working out outside or going for a run), face wash/wipes, lotion, and gels. Stinkin cute. Scroll to the bottom of this post for another look!
>> Old Navy flops for showering at the gym.
>> Combination lock of course! And in a fun color so I can easily remember my locker.
>> Towel and yoga mat from Gaiam.
>> Energy gels and chews from various brands for high intensity workouts and long distance running, as well as trail mix for a post-workout snack.
>> Coldwrap (Arctic Ease), cooling toweletts (Arena Sciences), tee tree cleaning face wipes, pain relief patch (Tiger Balm), and my knee brace for those more painful workouts.
>> Pepper spray (because you never know) and my little red inhaler. And that’s about it!

The duffel bag I use is from REI, I love the bright color plus it has so many storage compartments! You can find similar bags here and here. I have three gym shoes that I frequent (all Nike hehe), but the ones I invested in for my half marathon this past March are the Nike Vromero  9‘s which make running feel like you’re gliding on air and are probably the best pair of exercise shoes I own. They have ample support for running, and are cushy enough for gym use. LOVE themmmm.

For pilates and yoga classes, I wear these fun Nike Studio Wraps. They have great grip and I love that I can wear them and not be barefoot on a stinky gym floor. They come in fun colors too, and have ballet-inspired ribbons you can also wear! I wore them a ton when I was teaching yoga classes and aqua aerobics classes in Washington, and they worked great–I always get tons of compliments on them.

I also have an unholy amount of thinner workout headbands mostly by adidas and under armour, but I’ve really gotten into using sweaty bands. They all work really well to hold all of my thick hair in place when it counts (cardio, I’m looking at you). I bring 1-2 in my duffel when I hit the gym.

Gym gloves are a great investment when lifting heavier weights. I also wore them when John and I ran the Rugged Maniac 5k last year (totally helped when it came to throwing myself over wooden A-frames). I use these gloves from Target.

I also use a cute mini zipper pouch to carry other mini toiletries in. It’s nice to just shower and get fresh right after the gym instead of having to drive in sweaty clothes 😛 Which leads me to my next thing I carry in my gym bag…essential outer wear! If a girlfriend calls me after a workout to get drinks downtown, or if my fiance wants to have a spontaneous rendezvous date night post-gym and I don’t have time to run home and change, I bring the necessities to look like a million bucks: a transition from day-to-night outfit, some basic makeup, and beach texture hairspray.

What are some things you carry in your gym bag? <3