Even if you are a fitness club regular, packing your gym bag can be inconvenient and a bother. Still worse, it can be exercise prohibitive: Wait until the last minute to gather your belongings and you might miss your favorite class; forget your goggles and there goes swimming; overlook a recovery snack and your stomach is growling at you all the way home. An organized gym bag helps you overcome these potential obstacles. Life offers ample stressors — your gym bag shouldn’t be one of them. So here is a simple checklist of five gym bag essentials to help lighten your load.
1. Pre-Workout Fuel. Whether it’s a strength training workout, intense CrossFit
® session, studio cycling class, or 2000-meter swim, fuel is essential for your workout — and, therefore, should be in your gym bag. Many fitness clubs offer snacks, and even cafes, but if you do not have have the proper fuel in tow, you might take in some extra calories and spend unnecessary money. Pamela Nisevich, MS, RD, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, co-owner of
SwimBikeRunEat.com, and PowerBar® Team Elite™ athlete, says to pack fuel for before and after your workout — especially if you work hard at the gym for over an hour or engage in heavy strength work. “Before you get started, your muscles need fuel in the form of carbohydrates to allow you to sustain your workout,” says Nisevich. She says that 30–60 minutes before her workout, usually on her drive to the gym, she has a predominantly carbohydrate-based, quick-to-digest snack to top off her fuel stores. She always packs a PowerBar® Fruit Smoothie Energy bar in her gym bag for this purpose.
2. Recovery Fuel. After a 60–90 minute workout, your body is primed for replenishment and repair — and your muscles need fuel to repair and rebuild. Nisevich says that she looks for carbohydrates and protein to kick-start recovery within 30 minutes after her workout. Her post-gym choice is a PowerBar® Nut Naturals Energy bar for the drive home.
3. Bottle for Fluid. Before a hard workout, you need to be hydrated. Shoot for 14–20 fl oz of water before you get started. If your workout is under an hour, water will suffice while you exercise. But if you’re pushing the clock to 90+ minutes, you will benefit from a fluid-and-electrolyte beverage. About 13–26 fl oz per hour of exercise will keep you in the hydration zone. After your workout, replenish losses by drinking about 16–24 fl oz for every lb of body weight that you lost during the workout. To calculate your hydration needs, check out the PowerBar® Sweat Rate Calculator.
4. Microfiber Towel. Even if you are not doing Bikram yoga, you can still sweat a fair amount during your workout. So keep it out of your eyes and off of the gym equipment. A microfiber towel stays dry to the touch and helps draw sweat from the hair and skin to keep you comfortable.
5. Customized Gym Needs Sack. There are items that should live in your gym bag at all times. Some of these options include: your own lock for your locker; toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, face wash, and lotion; hairbrush; flip-flops for the shower; name tag; and $20 for incidentals. Don’t repack these for every trip — keep them in your bag at all times.
Now that your bag is packed, your fuel is handy, and your gym needs are met — have a great workout!
If you’re interested in knowing about PowerBar® Team Elite™ athletes or how you can join the ranks, click on the Team Elite link at PowerBar.com.
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