It happens to the best of us: After a few days of regularly using your go-to gym bag, you discover a banana in your gym bag … three months after you first packed it as a post-workout snack? It’s not the best experience but there is a way (or in this case, three) to ensure a more organized, clutter-free gym bag.
How to Get Your Gym Bag in Shape
1. Isolate Your Post-Workout Snacks
If you carry pre- or post-workout snacks like Collagen Bars™ or fruit with you, then you’re probably well aware that they can get broken, bruised or lost under your gym shoes. Plus, even if your workout snack is under wraps, the smells from your bag can permeate through it. Instead, designate a pocket on the outside of your bag for food only. Another option is to buy a smaller, food-only, vinyl or plastic bag to keep inside your gym bag. This way, you can preserve the condition of your food and prevent contamination.
2. Divide & Conquer
Think of all the little workout and non-workout essentials that get tossed into your bag and nearly get lost forever. Instead of fiddling around your bag, first get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last month. Second, designate the side pockets for certain items like medicine or first aid, deodorant and other dry toiletries, or for your keys, wallet and gym lock. For liquid toiletries, use an impermeable smaller bag to prevent spills and to make things easier to find.
3. Have a Packing Plan
The quickest way to take the longest amount of time finding something in your gym bag is to notput things away. Once you’ve designated pockets and extra small bags for specific uses, do your best to keep it that way. We all toss things into our bags without thinking or because we’re in a rush. But the more you keep to a system, the faster you can find what you’re looking for.
When we swim, cycle, lift, sweat, steam and shower at the gym, we need essentials to cover all the many things we do. To keep all the elements of your gym life orderly, clear the clutter, keep it organized and stick to it!