What’s the best way to pack a gym bag for work?
It would appear that either losing weight or getting in shape has become a priority for quite a lot of us, and with good reason. You not only look better, but you also feel good and see a significant improvement in your performance, regardless of what you do. If you do not adequately prepare to go to the gym, then you could skip workout days. If you skip days, then you are likely to simply give up your workout routine. Before you know it, it’s a month down the line and you can’t fathom where all the early enthusiasm for working out disappeared to. Now it can be hard to find the time to work out, especially if you work a regular 9 to 5. The best way to ensure that you keep to this habit while you work is to prepare a gym bag. It is easy to believe that preparing a gym back should be one of the easiest things to do, but it can be quite difficult to pack the right gear and also ensure that you have everything you will need for work. This article aims to help you prepare a gym bag for work, so you can always be ready to work out.
Now, your gym bag is just as imperative as the items it carries. Most people simply go for a typical drawstring bag, but it makes more sense to go for something that is a little bit more professional, something that suits your image. Your gym bag has to be quite durable, seamless to clean, and most importantly it should be large enough to hold everything you need. Another thing to remember is that your bag has to be inconspicuous, considering you are going to be bringing it to work.
Gym Clothing
Most people simply prepare for a single workout when they pack their gym bag. You are a busy person, sometimes life and work get in the way. You want to go to the gym, and then you find out that you don’t have any gym clothing prepped, or worse, you forgot to do laundry day. To stay prepared you have to prep at least a week’s worth of workout clothing if you workout 3 to 5 times a week.
This means you have to have numerous items such as socks, underwear, t-shirts, shirts and more.
Shorts:you don’t want to be the guy working out in his suit pants and it is certain that most gyms wouldn’t let you work out in your underwear, so it makes perfect sense to bring along gym shorts. Your gym shorts could be designed for cross-training, running or you could even get basketball shorts. The most important thing is that they are fast drying, lightweight and breathable.
T-shirts:A simple t-shirt made from cotton will do so long as it is comfortable. You will need to pack more than just 1, perhaps 3 pieces as you are going to get sweaty and t-shirts typically get dirty pretty quickly. It is important that you do this, as just because you are working out, does not mean you should smell bad.
Work Appropriate Shirts:These could be suit shirts or just any shirt that fits your workplace’s dress code. You might wonder why you need to pack extra work shirts, well you never know when you might be called in. It also avails you the opportunity to work out before work.
Underwear: This should actually be one of the first clothing items to head into the bag. Nothing worse than working out and showering only to put on the same underwear you had on when you were working out. This is especially important if you are the type of person that likes to work out during the day, rather than after work. You should pack 2 sets of underwear.
Socks:Socks are extremely important, they help keep your feet dry. Your sock should not be worn for more than 1 workout session. Socks do not really take up a lot of space, so it makes sense to pack a few pairs. You should get grey or black socks, preferably athletic socks.
Gym Shoes
I don’t believe that there is any gym out there in the world that would let anyone simply work out barefooted. Not only is it unsanitary, but it can also be extremely dangerous. Not having the right shoes, can cause you to simply pass on a workout or worse, you could choose to work out and then end up hurting yourself. You need to pack a pair of long-lasting running shoes, preferably something that supports your arch.
Towel and Water Bottle
It is easy to overlook these items and term them nonessential, but they are extremely important. Having these items can make the workout a whole lot more fun. You should always pack a small towel in your bag to help you get rid of sweat from your face or hands before you bench your new record.
Working out makes you sweat, and when you sweat you are actually losing quite a lot of fluids. It is important that you stay hydrated not just while working out, but also when you are recovering. This is why you should always have a water bottle with you.
Headphones
Music has been shown to be a great motivator during workouts. It does not matter what your genre of music is, you are just simply able to get more done. The time simply flies by when you are working out to music. You should get wireless headphones, so you don’t have to fiddle with wires or let them interrupt your workout.
Gym Towel
It does not matter what time of the day you choose to work out, it could be before you head to work, it could be during the lunch break, it could even be after work. Regardless of the time, the majority of workouts will need a shower. You might not need a shower if you are able to head right on home after a workout, but if you can’t then you will need to shower at the gym. A gym towel is somewhat larger than the towel mentioned above, you can use it to dry yourself after hitting the showers.
Flip Flops
You will need some flip flops, to help you get from the locker room to the shower. This is actually a necessity if you happen to add swimming to your workout regimen. Nobody wants to put on gym shoes on their way to the shower or even to the locker room after having just gotten clean.
Toiletries
Since you are going to be having a shower after your workout, it would make sense to pack some toiletries in your gym bag that could make you efforts at getting clean effective. The kind of things you should have in your gym bag are deodorant, soap/shower gel, lotion, hair cream or gel, cologne, toothbrush, toothpaste, basically all the things you will need to after showering. To help you save on space, you should look to pack only the travel size of these items.