My gym bag spends a large amount of time following me throughout the week. It can often be a great conversation starter with random people. In fact, whenever people see me with my gym bag, I often get asked “so what is in your bag?”
My gym wardrobe is increasingly expanding and competing with my everyday and going out clothes!
For the colder days when I’m running, or when I’m not doing a tough session at the gym, I like to wear my leggings, t-shirt, zip-up and a headband.
As the days get warmer or when I’m doing a long and tough gym session, I prefer wearing shorts.
Now girls, far too often, I notice runners and some of the girls at the gym don’t wear a sports bra. Especially if you are *how-to-put-this* well blessed, I’m sorry to say this, but it is SO obvious if you’re not wearing a sports bra. Think wibble wobble everywhere; it’s just one wibbly wobbly mess.
Just as a girl can never have enough lingerie, a girl can never have too many sports bras! My favourite brand at the moment is Shock Absorber. I’m getting another 2 Shock Absorber bras soon!
Don’t forget a deodrant!
…And remove that make-up! You’re not running or at the gym to look pretty, you’re there to work out (You’re gonna have to work up a sweat if you want a foxy bod!)
I have two different make-up remover products, depending on how much make-up I’m wearing.
When I’m not wearing a lot of make-up, I use Nivea’s double make-up remover. It can be a little bit greasy, but if you wash your face after using it, it’s fine.
I use Clinique’s Take The Day Off make-up remover for the days when I’ve got a lot of make-up on (and as you can see, it’s practically almost finished!)
Whether you’re running or at the gym, drinking water or some sort of juice is really important to prevent dehydration. I have a growing collection of bottles, and these three are my favourites. I use each of them for a different purpose, but my all-round ultimate favourite is definitely my Core 150 (I even have 2 of these!)
I use the circular bottle on the right for running. It’s design makes it runner friendly as it’s easy to hold. It also helps to tone your arms when you run. I bought mine from Runner’s Need. In my photo, it comes up with a yellow tinge, but that’s because of the discolouration from the squash that I’ve been drinking.
The middle bottle I use for when I do HIIT gym sessions- which is basically when I have gym sessions made up of short high intensity workouts. It also has a removable mesh which means it’s great for protein shakes.
The last bottle-my Core 150– is amazing. Unlike the others, this is the biggest as it holds 1 litre. It contains a storage unit, which is great for protein shake powders and mini snacks, like almonds, as well as the removal mesh, which most other protein shake bottles have. Another reason why I love it is that it resolves the ‘leaky lid’ situation that I’ve encountered with other bottles.
Training gloves! I do a lot of weight training and training gloves are my go-to product. They are a great way to maintain grip on the pull-up bars and dumbbells and also protect your hands.
My armband is my final sports essential. My favourite music apps are Spotify (there are lots of gym and runner friendly playlists!) and Rock My Run (I mentioned this one in my WOTN post.) I also love the Nike + app as it’s a great way of recording the distances you run, the time it takes you and the breakdown of your speed.
It doesn’t matter so much if you’re in the gym, but if you’re going to be running, then you need to invest in a pair of trainers that suit your running style. Both Sweatshop and Runner’s Need offer gait analysis for free. Gait analysis is just where they use technology to analysis the way you run and then use those results to find the right pair of trainers for you to correct or support your running technique
Now that’s more or less what my essentials are for when I go to the gym or running. Once I’ve done my workout, this is my favourite post-workout shower gel!:
And, for all my runners, remember this mantra and check the top. (I’m waiting for mine to come when my brother comes back from New York!):
Drop a comment down below, or send me a tweet!
Mara
Great post – love the mantra!
Ambarina xXx