Gym Bag Essentials: Packing the Perfect Gym Bag Checklist

One recent study found that 42% of people skip a gym session if they don’t feel like they have enough time. Sound familiar? If so, a few tips and tricks might be all you need to overcome this hurdle. The best place to start is by making a list of your gym bag essentials.

Think about it. How many times have you had plans to hit the gym in the morning only to call it off because you’re too rushed to put together a gym checklist?

That’s why we teamed up with our Gold’s Gym coaches to put together this guide on what to take to the gym! Refer to this page whenever you’re struggling to pack your gym bag.

Core Gym Bag Essentials

When deciding what to bring to gym sessions, your health, safety, and comfort are the first things to consider. So, let’s start with the absolute must-have gym bag essentials.

Water Bottle

A water bottle should be at the top of your gym bag checklist. Even if you don’t sweat much, staying hydrated during exercise helps to maintain stamina, prevent muscle cramps, and improve overall performance.

According to the American Council on Exercise, the ideal way to stay hydrated during exercise is:

• Drink 17 – 20 oz. of water 2 – 3 hours before hitting the gym.
• Drink eight oz. right before or during your warm-up.
• Drink 7 – 10 oz. every 10 – 20 minutes of your workout routine.
• Drink 8 oz. within 30 minutes of finishing your gym session.

Note: Always consult your doctor before making any dietary changes or starting a new fitness regimen.

Towel

We aren’t talking about a fluffy bath towel here. You’ll want a smaller, absorbent towel for wiping sweat and cleaning frequently used gym equipment (think benches and machines with padding).

A soft microfiber or cotton towel is better for wiping your face than less absorbent paper towels.

Workout Shoes

Nothing’s more frustrating than getting to the gym and realizing you forgot your shoes. To avoid this, always keep a dedicated pair of workout shoes in your gym bag. This means you’ll never forget them on the way out the door.

Pro tip: Ever wear sandals or flip-flops to the gym? Consider packing a few pairs of clean socks in your bag. Wearing your gym sneakers without socks is a recipe for smelly feet.

Change of Clothes

Showing up in your gym gear and packing a change of street clothes is usually the simplest way to go. When you try to stuff gym clothes and your normal outfit into your gym bag, you’re more likely to forget something (like those clean socks we mentioned earlier).

Protein Powder

If you’ve spent any amount of time in a gym, you’ve likely heard about protein powder. But post-workout protein isn’t just a fitness trend—quite a few studies have demonstrated the potential benefits.

Protein powder is especially popular because it’s a quick, easy way to get your post-workout nutrition. If sitting down to eat a meal is the last thing you want after the gym, protein supplements from Gold’s Gym Nutrition Shop are great to put on your gym bag checklist.

Additional Useful Items

This next set of gym bag essentials is technically optional, but each one can support you in achieving your fitness goals. We’ve also included science-backed data and studies to help you better understand the potential benefits of these items!

Fitness Tracker

According to Harvard Health Publishing, a fitness tracker is one of the simplest ways to solidify your commitment to exercise. Researchers found that, on average, one of these devices will lead you to:

• Take up to 1,235 more steps daily.
• Stand for up to 10 minutes longer each day.
• Do up to an additional 49 minutes of weekly physical activity.

Even if you don’t wear the fitness tracker all day, keeping one in your gym bag can be a helpful way to stay on track and progress toward your goals.

Headphones

For many of us, our gym playlist is just as important as our gym checklist. But did you know science backs this up? According to the National Center for Health Research, studies show that music selection can impact treadmill performance.

Participants who listened to fast-paced music increased both their speed and distance without feeling more tired!

So, just like with your workout shoes, keep a dedicated pair of headphones in your gym bag. If they’re wireless, consider packing a charger in your bag, too.

Lock to Secure Belongings

If you plan to use a locker, you’ll need a lock—plain and simple. And honestly, if you’ve got a gym bag, it’s best to lock it up rather than carry it around the gym.

With your gear securely stowed away, your body and mind are free to focus on putting your all into your exercise routine. Plus, keeping your bag off the gym floor is polite for fellow gym-goers.

Resistance Bands

No matter your fitness level, resistance bands are a versatile addition to your gym checklist. There are many ways to utilize these, whether you want to increase endurance, build strength, or tone your physique.

In fact, research suggests that using resistance bands works muscles in a way similar to free weights or weight machines.

Ideally, look for a multi-pack of bands with varying resistance levels. This lets you adjust intensity and gives you even more control over every workout.

Pre-Workout Snacks

According to Mayo Clinic experts, eating before a workout can help sustain energy levels—especially if your session lasts over an hour. But grabbing fast food on your way to the gym likely isn’t the best idea.

Instead, carbohydrate-rich snacks like an energy bar, banana, or sports drink can help keep you from feeling hungry and give you energy during longer workouts.

Think about what snacks work for your lifestyle and dietary needs. Feel free to get creative here, so long as you stick to light, energy-boosting options.

Hygiene Products

If you always shower at home, these last few gym bag essentials might not feel necessary. However, it’s nice to have these hygiene products on hand. For example, when you have to rinse off immediately after a workout.

Shampoo and Body Wash

You don’t need a ton of products on your gym checklist. Shampoo and body wash are enough to get cleaned up post-workout and move forward with your day.

And we have a few tips to keep your bag organized. First, don’t bother with full-sized products—opt for travel or sample sizes to free up space. Also, we suggest using body wash over a bar of soap. Packing that wet soap bar into your gym bag is almost guaranteed to be a pain.

Lastly, consider keeping these hygiene products and the next two items on the list in a clear gallon Ziploc bag. This protects your belongings if any bottles leak, and grabbing what you need will be easier before you hit the shower.

Deodorant

Deodorant is one of our non-negotiable gym bag essentials. It can be handy before, after, or even during every workout.

When you shop for deodorant for your gym bag, look for options that specifically work for sweat and odor. After all, you want to look and smell good post-workout.

You might also consider grabbing a gel or spray deodorant instead of the traditional stick formula. The sticks can crumble, break, or melt in your gym bag—and that’s never a fun mess to clean up.

Face Wash

Studies have shown that our skin isn’t the same in different body areas. This is why it’s not ideal to use your body wash to wash your face. You can do so if you have no other choice, but we still suggest adding face wash to your gym bag checklist.

Plus, dermatologists say that since exercise can help boost your skin’s health, washing your face post-workout just makes sense. When sweat sits on your face for hours after you exercise, you can end up with clogged pores, inflammation, and acne.

So, a travel-size bottle of face wash is a smart addition to the other hygiene products in your gym bag.

Conclusion

With this gym bag checklist, you’ve just overcome one of the biggest excuses people make for skipping workouts. Plus, having essentials on hand like water, a fitness tracker, and pre/post-workout supplies makes it much easier to hit your fitness goals.

But what about when you forget to pack extra clothes or don’t realize you ran out of protein powder?

No worries—Gold’s Gym has you covered. Stop by the Gold’s Gym Shop at your local gym anytime for apparel, supplements, and other gym bag essentials you can count on!