Gym bags are nifty things. They carry your gi, change of clothes, and the odd year-old nut bar or two. If you’re not careful, the items in your gym bag can easily add up and before you know it, you’re lugging around an entire general store around in your bag. To enhance your gym bag user experience, here are our suggestions for what to put in a gym bag.
Change of clothes. Especially in the winter months, a change of clothes is great. You don’t want to be sitting in your sweat on your drive home, so adding a change of clothes to get into after hitting the gym is a must.
Water bottle. Any good workout leaves you tired and thirsty. Having a water bottle in your bag helps you in case you are prone to forgetting things. Plus, drinking water is essential to good recovery.
Advil/Tylenol. There are many times when Advil, Tylenol, or other pain relievers are needed. Maybe a muscle is too sore or you’re dealing with unbearable cramps. At any rate, having pain relievers on hand is always a good idea.
Bandaids/Bandages. Having a small box of Bandaids or bandages is another important item to have on hand. By ensuring you have a box of Bandaids in your bag, you can easily administer to any cuts or picked hangnails you might encounter.
Instant cold pack. Accidents happen. Maybe you tweaked your ankle sprinting, or didn’t tap early enough on an armbar. Whatever the reason for your pain, it’s beneficial to have an instant cold pack in your bag for those emergencies.
Protein bar. If you end up doing more than one class, having a protein bar is a good idea. It gives you back some energy and protein helps in post-workout recovery.
Nail Clippers. It’s very important to keep your nails trimmed--no matter what you’re doing. Keeping nail clippers in your bag makes it easier to keep those nails trimmed.
Is there anything we missed that you think is essential for gym bags? Let us know in the comments!
