What’s in my gym bag? (Beginner)

LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS! To defeat *smashy smash*…THE HUNS!

Hai! So today’s post is just a standard What’s in my Bag? Oh God the Mysteries are Beyond Your Wildest Imagination – which I actually quite enjoy reading to be honest – but as there’s been a recent shift in my morning routine, I thought I would theme it to the contents of my gym bag. I’ve been a member for not much longer than a month so I’m still 100% newbielicious and vulnerable to criticism, as this new hobby is massively scary and a rare embarking of unfamiliar territory for the likes of myself. The reason I joined is still hazy, but it was definitely something to do with wanting to improve my general fitness and stamina, to counteract my sloth-inspired lifestyle, and admittedly to prove that I can do something that seems impossible. It might seem so meaningless and self-indulgent, but calling up to join was a strangely brave move for me, as I am riddled and embittered with self-consciousness and awkward defiance in the face of my abilities. What I feel I have achieved so far is already three-fold in response: 1) I already feel a little bit stronger, and can push myself to commit to more time in cardio 2) For the past three days at least, I have had a morning routine, and can still accompany my boyfriend en route as he walks to work, and 3) I still feel hideously self-conscious and stupid, but in this hour or so of my morning I can push past it and say, I care but not enough to make me stop. I do feel good after a workout – as long as I haven’t pushed myself so hard on the bike that I make myself too nauseous to stretch afterwards, i.e. yesterday, what a muppet.

So here we are! My newbie kit, in all its scruffy glory. What do we have here?

1. Let’s firstly address my extremely glamorous trainers. Clearly, I am not a connoisseur of fine fitness attire. These have followed me through the years without being used to fulfil their destiny often, I’m pretty sure these are my Hi-Tecs from school, which were a mandatory purchase and unnervingly bouncy as you’d plough across the hockey pitch with minimal dexterity. They do still fit me though, and are extremely comfy. Operating on a reward basis, I’ve told myself once I complete 10 more gym sessions I will consult my savings for a new pair.
2. Sports bra. This definitely isn’t one of my more supportive ones but it gets the job done as long as I’m not galumphing on top of the treadmill for half an hour. Let’s be honest, this one is cute as fuck. I do have a more practical one that has a handy-dandy little pocket at the front, but excuse me, boob sweat anyone?
3. On a similarly sweaty note I have to admit that wearing grey to the gym sounds ill-advised, but this charcoal t-shirt is very cosy and breathable. In an ideal world, I’d like to wear tops that cover my butt, however there’s lots of overhead lifting and such going on anyway so, sod it.
4. My sportsy leggings are from Primark, rather unforgiving in the thigh-chunk area but what can a girl do? Let’s embrace the thigh-chunk with reckless abandon. They’ve a pocket in the back which is where I usually keep my workout list, as I like to plan ahead – improvising often leads to me bounding endlessly on the cross-trainer like a drunken kangaroo.
5. My water bottle, which I love. I like to slice up a bit of lime to give it all a bit of flavour too. Through continuous sipping, I usually go through the entire bottle during an hour workout, which to me can only be a good thing.
6. A pound coin! (For a locker.) Because I walk to the gym, at the moment it’s a good 45-minute journey through autumnal mulch, so my shoes get pretty muddy. I usually wear my coat and boots over my gym clothes, then get vaguely changed once I’m there. There was nothing like the nostalgic sense of dread I felt upon walking into a changing room for the first time in forever, the humiliation of all my PE classes spun madly through my mind like an incompetent rhythmic gymnast. This was swiftly replaced by my immense anxiety of being in front of strangers in just my underwear. How do people do this so easily? I only committed to this today as I had to go shopping straight after and didn’t want to be stuck in my cloying post-workout gear.
7. Hand sanitiser & lip balm. The germs are everywhere, and so are chapped lips.
8. Sweatband. This one has a particularly cute c.2003 Mosh Vibe to it, which I fully appreciate. Couple it with a soundtrack of AFI and you’re onto a nostalgic win.
9. A towel! Everybody seems to have a towel. So I brought a towel. The end.
10. My gym card. You may notice that it is a bit curved, that is probably because I forgot it was in my pocket and I accidentally washed it and tumble dried it. The fact that it survived such a perilous journey is what matters folks, not my ineptitude. I will always be inspired by my gym card, how it has made it against all odds, and has come out of the other side a little bit warped and a little bit traumatised, but it still looks great.
11. Socks. Today I was feeling Ravenclaw-ish, as I so studiously adhered to my workout plan. Maybe I should start theming my plans around the Hogwarts houses?

So that’s about it for the moment! You may have noticed I’ve neglected deodorant, well to be honest sometimes I bring it and sometimes I don’t. It’s not an essential for me as I apply it before I set off and then I’ve still got a 45 minute walk after my workout, which will be followed by a shower, so I don’t deem it necessary. Low hygiene standards, wahey!

What do you keep in your gym bag? And how annoying do you find it to have to increase your laundry load so often? I can normally get a lot more wears out of a t-shirt, even if it has gravy-spill all down the front. Which it usually does.

Until next time!

Rosie

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