Over the years, I’ve gone to the gym regularly and during that time I’ve had a loyal companion that has always helped me get by, my gym bag. Here are a few of the essentials I always keep on hand.
Extra Clothing
This goes without saying for parents carrying things for their kids, but having an extra pair of shorts, a clean shirt, pair of socks, and athletic shoes always come in handy. With these items, you’ll always be prepared for those times you want to hit the gym right after work or for when you forget to bring some clothes with you in the morning. Plus, if you have a friend that you hit the gym with who forgets to bring their gear, you can always let them borrow yours.
Band-Aids and Athletic Tape
Hopefully you won’t have to use these, but it’s always good to be prepared. I don’t recommend using athletic tape to help you play while injured, but it’s definitely useful if you have an old injury that you don’t want to re-injure or aggravate (especially finger sprains). Band-Aids are good for those small cuts you get while playing sports that don’t seem to ever stop bleeding. Athletic tape helps as well when you’re too sweaty for the the bandaid to stay in place. Just slap a strip over the bandage and your cut will remain dirt free and protected.
Snacks
Having healthy snacks on hand is a must because more often than not the vending machine probably won’t have the best selection for a post-workout snack. The best non-perishable snacks that you can leave in you bag are trail mix, granola bars, or protein bars (those without much sugar, preferably).
Waterbottle
If you’re a fan of the treadmill nothing, is worse than having to interrupt your flow than having to stop to go to the water fountain. Especially if your gym is crowded like mine is, you’ll probably lose your treadmill while stepping off to grab a drink.
Towel and Deodorant
Ok, these might not be essential, but it’s definitely a good idea if you don’t want other people to give you weird looks in the gym. Using your towel to keep your sweat of the equipment and using deodorant to keep the air a bit less smelly than it already is, is just the right thing to do. Some of the not so essential things I also keep handy are my mp3 player and ankle/knee brace.
What do you keep in your gym bag?
This article was written by Andrew Poon of the Bluefields Coaching Blog. Bluefields is a free online platform where you can communicate with and organize your sports team with ease. We believe that the time you spend on the court should be as simple and fun as the time you spend on it. Get started today at Bluefields.com
