Gym Bag Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed

You’re on the treadmill, and your phone dies during your favorite song! You leave the gym and find that your face is a little more sweaty than you’d like to be for your 1 pm conference call. You deadlift to the point that your low back starts to feel a little funky.

Being prepared at the gym allows you to make the most of your workout time so that you can maximize your efforts, and work towards achieving your workout goals. The last thing you want to happen to is to feel drained and dehydrated, without your favorite Spotify playlist, or feel too stiff to make your workout successful.

Having a successful workout is reliant on many factors, including having a positive mindset, a plan, eating well, and staying hydrated! Having a bag packed with all of the essentials and then some will up your level of preparedness and your mindset. Whether you are returning to workout after a long break, or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll want to have these items in your bag.

Collapsable Water Bottle

It’s not the hardest thing to remember your standard water bottle for your visit to the gym, but you probably haven’t considered popping a collapsible water bottle in your gym bag.

Since the average water bottle takes up a lot of space when empty, packing this Hydaway Collapsible Water Bottle will ensure you get in all of your hydration while you cycle, without taking up additional space in your bag, when you don’t need it.

Nuun Sport Electrotyles

Staying hydrated keeps you moving, but adding in electrolytes will take your hour at the gym to new heights. Nuun Sport Electrolyte Drink Tablets are packed with magnesium, potassium, and calcium, three supplements known for optimizing energy and performance.

Popping a few Nuun tablets into your collapsible water bottle before you start your session will heighten your energy and take your workout to the next level!

Portable iPhone Charger

If your gym session is scheduled in the middle of a busy work day, chances are, your iPhone battery could already be on the low side. To ensure nothing interrupts your ability to jam to your favorite songs on the elliptical, you might want to consider purchasing the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack.

While this portable iPhone charger is on the pricey side, it’s best to pair Apple products with Apple chargers to ensure your battery isn’t drained by a third-party product. The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack provides safe, wireless charging for your iPhone on the go and is compatible with iPhone 12 through iPhone 14 Max.

Locking Carabiner

You can’t go wrong with having a carabiner on hand. Whether you are looking for a convenient place to hook your portable water bottle on the side of your gym bag, or maybe to loop your wallet safely on the inside of your bag, you’ll be glad to have this. It adds an element of safety and practicality to any gym session.

Peanut Massage Ball

Whether you prefer to roll it out before, during, or after your workout, the Peanut Massage Ball is a must-have not only in your gym bag, but in your daily bag, and travel bag too. It is the perfect trigger point release ball to help combat inflammation in your body quickly! You will be glad to have this tool for not just the gym, but your everyday self-care routine, even if you only have a few minutes.

Long Theraband

Having one long theraband, or resistance band, is a must-have for your gym bag because prehab and rehab exercises before and after your main session can be just as important as your main exercise. A Theraband is a versatile tool that you can use with just your body weight as well as simple structures like door handles, pull-up bars, and other common places at your local gym.

Carving out a few minutes with your theraband before and after your workout will help optimize your warm-up and cool-down.

Face Wipes

By the time you finish your session, chances are you’ll be a little sweaty. In addition to the deodorant you probably already thought to pack, pop in a pack of face wipes to freshen up before the next part of your day. Neutrogena’s HydroBoost is packed with hyaluronic acid to help rehydrate your pores.

Hand Sanitizer

Lastly, it definitely won’t hurt to pack a portable hand sanitizer in your gym bag. Staying on top of your germ game will help ensure you can keep up your routine- regardless of all the equipment you might have your hands on as you work out!

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Your workout session relies more on your own stamina, focus, and dedication than anything single product, but these eight essentials will help optimize your sessions to ensure you make the progress you desire, and keep coming back!