Confession: I’ve never penned a post of the ‘what’s in my handbag?’ variety before, even though I love to read them. I’m not even 100% sure about the use of a question mark in there – I mean, surely the blogger knows what’s inside their own bag? Semantics aside, I thought it was time to give it a go!
Since I swap handbags all the time and am very much into working out at the moment, I figured I’d opt for a variation and show you what’s in my gym bag. I spent years bringing everything but the kitchen sink to fitness classes and the gym (when I remembered periodically that, yes, I was still paying for a membership even though I hadn’t set foot inside for six months). Now I go to different studios, gyms and classes across the city (thanks to this handy fitness passport service) so I’ve slimmed down what I bring.
The bag itself isn’t really a gym bag at all but a bright red ‘shopper’ that was a cast-off from Grandma Ship-Shape. I never intended to use it for my workout gear but it seems to be holding up OK right now, so I see no point in buying a new one just yet, though I am in need of a proper yoga mat bag…
Anywho, let’s start with the basics – a mini deodorant, lip balm (currently Burt’s Bees Vanilla Bean Moisturizing Lip Balm, which smells amazing) and hair ties/kirby grips are the items that are always in there because they’re usually the things I always forget on my way out the door. If I’m feeling fancy then I’ll throw in a travel-size can of dry shampoo too, because my fringe is allergic to exercise and while the hair ties and grips keep the rest of it in place, my fringe usually revolts by becoming an unruly sweaty mess. Nice.
I don’t wear make-up to the gym but I always bring a small pack of cleansing wipes ‘just in case’. At the moment I’m trying out Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Wipes, which do what they say on the tin, so to speak. Note that everything I’ve mentioned so far is miniature or travel-size – the last thing anyone wants to do after a workout is lug an unnecessarily heavy bag around!
I also take my phone and headphones so that I can listen to a little motivational music on way to class – before yoga or pilates it’s usually London Grammar or Daughter, but for more intense workouts I like to listen to an upbeat mix from 8tracks or Spotify – this one is my current favourite.
If I’m going to a boxing class then I’ll bring my inner gloves along with me. These ones are a cheap pair that I picked up in Sports Direct last year, and they also double up as weight lifting gloves for when my hands are feeling a little tender.
And that’s pretty much it! I hope you enjoyed having a nosy into my gym bag, and if you’ve written a similar post then please do send me a link in the comments :)