With summer on the horizon – or at least it would be if the weather would just perk up a little bit – many of us find ourselves hitting the gym with the aim of making us feel fitter and boost our confidence before we bare all (not literally) in our finest swimwear on the beach.
If you’re new to the fitness game, or just looking to get your gym bag organised, here’s a few essentials you don’t want to be without when you don your trainers and get that heart rate pumping.
1. Gym Gear
Let’s begin with the obvious item you really don’t want to forget, your gym clothes. With many high street brands offering low-cost workout wear you don’t need to spend a hideous amount of money to look stylish whilst you work up a sweat. I love H&M, Missguided and New Look for seriously affordable gym kit.
Look for lightweight, breathable clothing and make sure it’s well fitted too. You really don’t want to work out in something which clings and rubs in all the wrong places as it’ll end up irritating you beyond belief. When in the fitting room it can even be worth trying out a few moves you know you’ll be doing when you exercise. Squats with low rise leggings? Not good!
2. Water Bottle
If you’ve ever made the mistake of forgetting your water bottle before you begin to imagine how it would feel if you were stranded in the Sahara desert. Invest in a water bottle you can reuse and keep it in your gym bag at all times to make sure you don’t forget it.
You should be keeping hydrated before, during and after your workout. Try to sip a glass of water around an hour before you begin exercise, and if you’re sweating a lot then make sure you keep fluid levels topped up, but don’t go overboard as you could damage your body.
3. Nutritional Snacks
When you work out it’s important your body has the fuel it needs to keep it performing at its best. Pre-workout around one to two hours before you begin, aim to eat something with a low GI to give you a sustained energy release – sweet potato, whole-wheat pasta and porridge oats work best.
Once you’ve finished your exercise stick to protein based snacks to help your muscles replenish and recover. These recipe ideas are simple and easy enough to whip up post-exercise. If you do get hungry before you get home keep your gym bag stocked up with a protein shake or protein bar – just watch out for high sugar intake in any bars you do eat as they can have a tendency to be processed.
4. Towel
You will sweat when you work out and it isn’t pretty let me tell you. Keeping a small workout towel in your bag will be a lifesaver when the sweat starts to pour.
It’s also great to pop down on a mat when you’re doing floor exercises and wipe down equipment too. Look for microfibre as it absorbs quicker and won’t take ages to dry once you’ve washed it either.
5. Music
Working out without music is no fun at all, and with our phones now holding all our favourite tunes it’s easier than ever to make sure the tunes are blaring whilst we work out. Just don’t forget your headphones!
Create a Spotify playlist and fill it with your favourite motivating tracks, or search for a playlist already created if you’re feeling lazy. When you’re feeling worn out, music can help to push you just that little bit further.
6. Fitness Tracker
Many of us just work out to be fitter and healthier, but we still have fitness goals we want to achieve even if we aren’t entering ourselves into the marathon or a 10k event. Fitness trackers like FitBits and the Apple Watch can help you keep track of your progress and keep you spurred on.
Many trackers allow you to track the amounts of calories burned, heart rate, distance, steps taken and duration of your workout. You can then use the data gathered to analyse your workout and keep yourself motivated too. Now your bags packed with your fitness essentials, you just need to work on getting yourself to the gym!
