5 Essential Items For Your Gym Bag

Everyone’s got a gym bag. But have you ever wondered what the pros carry in theirs? Aside from that all-essential locker token, towel and a change of clothes, let’s look at five items that no self-respecting gym-goer should ever leave home without…

1.   A water bottle:

Ensuring you remain hydrated when working out is essential. Sure, most gyms have a water machine and cups, but having to head over to it each time you want a drink isn’t only irritating, it can cause you to fail to consume enough fluids. Having your water bottle with you while working out not only encourages you to drink, it also means you can monitor the amount of liquid you’re taking on board. In addition, you’re not restricted to only water – you can have a sports drink or electrolyte replacement if you prefer.

2.  A heart rate monitor: 

Thankfully, with the advent of sports watches and other fitness wearables, it’s no longer necessary to wear an uncomfortable chest strap to accurately measure your heart rate – although, of course, many still choose to do so. With the many different options available (Garmin, iWatch, Samsung etc.) it’s simplicity itself to not only see what speed your ticker is running at, but to track improvements as you get fitter with various apps that log your workouts.

3.  A foam roller:

Post-exercise stretching is all well and good, but nothing – and we mean nothing – beats the uber-stretches and massage you get from a 10-minute foam rolling session. By applying direct pressure to the muscles that you’ve just given a beasting to not only feels great, it actively aids recovery. That means increased blood flow, less post-workout soreness and faster muscle recovery.

4.  Compression socks:

While we’re on the subject of reducing soreness after working out, compression socks are a great asset to any gym attire. Once only the realm of long-distance runners, today more and more people are getting tuned into the massive advantages they bring to workouts of all shapes and sizes. Many think muscle soreness is the sign of hard workout. However, while it does indeed show that the muscles have been put under strain, it’s actually a sign of overwork, and therefore necessitates extended recovery time. Compression socks not only encircle the muscles and help prevent damage, but they provide support to the veins in your lower legs, so assisting the blood from your extremities back to the heart – a key aspect for muscle support, increasing cardiovascular fitness, as well as reducing any post-exercise inflammation.

5.  Post-workout snacks:

Muscle recovery depends strongly on getting the right nutrition. After any workout, but a tough one in particular, your muscles will’ve used up their stores of glycogen and be hungry for more. The right food after a workout not only replenishes stores of energy, but actively supports a faster recovery – both in the immediate and the longer term. There are many different choices for a post-workout snack or supplement, making for a somewhat bewildering array as to what to choose from. Getting advice from a fitness professional as to which might be the best for your situation will prevent you being taken in by glitzy advertising, instead stocking up on the most nutritional type for your needs.

Having the essentials in your gym bag not only means you’re primed and ready to go whenever the opportunity arises, but careful consideration to what you carry really can add that extra little something to each and every workout.

If you need some inspiration as to the perfect contents for your hold all, then there’s no better place for advice than from leading Perth fitness authority, Bailey Fitness. With gyms around the metro region, their knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff will be happy to guide you on every angle of your fitness regime. Find out more at www.baileyfitness.com.au.