If I don’t work out in the morning, it is very unlikely that I will get a workout in at all that day. While I don’t love waking up at 4:30am, the benefits of getting my workout done for the day before 6am does motivate me to crawl out of bed. I work in an office five days a week which means that morning workouts typically require me to get ready at the gym and head straight into work.
I have almost perfected my routine and all the essentials to pack in my bag. Here is my Top 10 list of gym bag essentials for those who get ready for the day at the gym.
- Dry shampoo. There are two types of women in this world. Those who love dry shampoo and those who are confused and maybe even put off by it. I love it and encourage everyone to get their hair accustomed to not washing it daily. Dry shampoo will speed up your routine by not washing it and will help also not make it look like you just spent the last hour sweating.
Pro Tip– this might be gross but I always blow dry the sweat from my roots if I have had a cardio session. You don’t want to put dry shampoo onto wet hair. - Blow Dryer (my gym has them, but in case yours does not)
- Shower Cap This actually speeds up my routine in the shower because I am not being overly cautious trying to keep my hair out of the water.
- BB Cream I am always rushing to get out the door and head to work so I can’t spend time with extra beauty steps. I recently discovered that BB cream (a tinted moisturizer) is 3-steps in one. I am currently using this Maybelline one that has a 30 SPF.
- Flip Flops You don’t necessarily know who was stepping on that shower floor before you.
- Large Lingerie Bag I got mine at the Dollar Store! It’s perfect because all your sweaty clothes can go straight into the washing machine. No more pulling gross clothes from a plastic bag each evening.
- Towels Not all gyms provide towels. I bring a bath sized and then use my workout towel to then step on as I am getting ready and to then wrap up my flip flops in so they don’t go into my bag wet.
- Extras! You do not want to be getting ready and realize you don’t have underwear. I keep two extra pairs of socks/underwear and even a bra (just one I was going to toss otherwise) for those mornings where you realize you were not as organized as you thought. I also keep a pair of work flats in my car just in case I forget shoes. A pair I was going to donate but now keep just in case. Have you ever seen someone in a professional outfit with running shoes? My guess is they are a morning workout person that forgot shoes.
- Odor Balls I got these on Amazon and they are a life saver. I stick one in each shoe and one in my gym bag. I no longer dread opening up my gym bag every evening when I get home.
- Gym Cosmetic Bag just like I keep extras of things like socks, I also have double of my cosmetics that always stay in the gym bag. It was way too time consuming unpacking it all and then led to me forgetting essentials like mascara and deodorant. Anytime I get a sample of makeup or something I like but don’t love, that goes into my gym cosmetic bag.
- BONUS! Lock Lock up your stuff. Enough said.
Another tip is to put your work outfit onto a hanger so you can visually see it the night before. This ups the chances you have a full outfit and don’t get out of the shower and realize you forgot pants. I then hang it in my car the night before so I am not trying to remember things at 4:30am.
What are your gym bag essentials?
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Read more of Stephanie’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
