My Current Gym Bag Essentials

My current workout essentialsLately I’ve had some new additions to my gym bag and have loved using them over and over again so it’s only right I share them with you! On a side note, let me know if you’d like to see an updated ‘What’s in my Gym Bag‘ post as quite a lot has changed, in fact it has completely changed since I wrote that post, gym bag included. Anyway, back to my current gym bag essentials. These are products I keep reaching for at the moment and I don’t know how I ever worked out without them.

1. Towelmate Towel

Such a simple concept, but it’s genius. I’ve briefly talked about this towel in my Workout Clothes Lookbook post, but it’s worth its own whole paragraph. This is an absolute essential when doing a workout. Ever wanted to use a bench but found it glistening with the previous person’s sweat marks? You look around for another bench but they’re all taken so you reluctantly wipe the bench down with your towel and do your chest workout. Later you move to the treadmill and go to wipe your forehead with your towel but wait – which side did you use to wipe the bench?! Which side of the towel has that icky man sweat on it?? This is the actual thought process I went through when I’ve been in this scenario. Towelmate has one side clearly labelled for gym and the other for skin. My forehead has never ran the risk of coming into contact with a stranger’s sweat again. That was a weird sentence… Also, the handy pocket keeps me from leaving my phone, headphones or gym card around the gym. I seem to be so forgetful when I’m focusing on reps and sets and which bit of equipment I need next.
Towelmate towel from Love to Lift – £24.99*

2. Mio Clean Slate Workout Swipes

Since upping the amount of cardio I’m doing through spinning 3 times a week at Psycle, I’ve also upped the sweatiness, nice. The warm room and energetic spin class at Psycle seriously works up a sweat and I hate the thought of the sweat drying on my face as I faff about gathering my towel and undressing ready to hop in the shower. Now I grab one of these and wipe my face before I even get in the shower. They’re also great for when I’m trying out a new studio and I’m not sure if they’ll have facial cleansers in the showers. I’ve also used them pre-workout to remove my makeup as there is nothing worse than wiping your mascara clad lashes and finishing your workout resembling a panda. I’ve even used them on my ‘pits when I haven’t wanted to shower after a workout (don’t judge me), but sometimes I want to wait until I get home so I can wash my hair in my own shower where there are hair products galore and exfoliating gloves. I love me some exfoliating gloves.
Mio Clean Slate Workout Swipes, part of the Mio Gym Kit – £16.80

3. ActivBod Mind Over Matter

Now I’m not sure if this product actually works or if it’s a placebo affect but bare with me. I workout after work, late in the evenings and sometimes after a stressful day I don’t want to workout. Instead I’d rather lay on the sofa and lose myself in trashy TV. I’ve even sat on the tube on the way to the gym dreaming up every excuse to not go to the gym. I was given this by a friend and at first I thought it was a bit of a gimmick but I tried it a few times and now it’s one of my gym bag essentials. I’m convinced it helps me to de-stress and get through my workout when I really don’t want to. Like I said, I’m not sure if this actually works or if I’ve fallen hook, line and sinker for a gimmick, but if it gets me off my butt and into the gym then that’s a win in my books. I’ve since given one to my Mum and she loves the scent of it too.
ActivBod Mind Over Matter – £5.00**

4. G-Loves Gym Gloves

Hopefully you’ve read my post on Why Women Should Lift Weights and you’ve started picking up heavy dumbbells and putting them down again. However, lifting weights can ruin the softness of our feminine hands and leave us with callouses no matter how much we moisturise. Ages ago, when I first started lifting weights I picked up a pair of gym gloves from Sports Direct for around a fiver. They were all black, bulky and manly looking. I felt awkward whenever I put them on and I ended up gifting them to the boyfriend. Although as they were so cheap they didn’t last him long at all. Either that or he just has hulk hands. Thanks to Love to Lift, a site dedicated to women who workout I was introduced to G-Loves. They’re tough so protect my hands from callouses, yet not bulky at all. I love the blue detailing on them. They come in a range of colours and patterns, including pink and leopard print. These have enabled me to carry on lifting heavy without ruining my hands.
G-Loves Gym Gloves from Love to Lift – £26.99*

5. Mio Workout Wonder Gel

I got this with the Mio Clean Slate Swipes as part of the Mio Gym Kit. To be honest I thought it would be another gimmick. I’m used to getting DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), especially after leg day and I thought that was that. You squat and deadlift, get DOMS the next day and then wince every time you have to climb stairs, end of story. Little did I know products like this actually exist and work. I’m not saying it completely rids me of DOMS but it goes a long way to helping me not walk around like a penguin after penguin, or have my legs seize up when I’m sat down at work for long periods of time. I use this mainly on my thighs after a leg workout, but I believe you can use it anywhere you experience muscle soreness.
Mio Workout Wonder Gel, part of the Mio Gym Kit – £16.80

What are your current gym bag essentials? I’d love to add to my little collection. What’s your pre and post workout beauty routine? Let me know in the comments below.

Items marked with * are PR samples. Items marked with ** were gifted to me by a friend. Samples never sway my opinion and reviews, that is my promise to you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Looking for Something?