We’re so lucky here at UP to have such a nice gym! It’s relatively new, it has multiple options for exercise and everyone who works there is really friendly! Another nice aspect of the Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center is the locker room where you can change and store your gym bag safely for free. All you need to worry about is showing up prepared to work up a sweat! How do you do that? Well, you need to remember to bring certain items in your gym bag.
1. Work-Out Clothing
The most important thing to bring to the gym is comfortable clothing. You want to be able to move freely and also not get overheated. Depending on the weather outside and how much the sun is streaming in through the big glass windows in Beauchamp, you may want to wear either longer pants such as leggings or shorts. I recommend always wearing a shirt with short sleeves or a tank top.
2. Tennis Shoes
These are probably right on the same level of importance as work out clothing! Regardless of what exercise activity you plan on doing, you will be moving a lot. So, you need to bring shoes that are comfortable and that will help you reach your athletic goals based on their structure.
3. Deodorant
Okay, okay. We all smell bad when we are done with our workouts. It is nothing to be ashamed of, it means you worked hard! Just so you can leave the gym without worrying about how you smell to others, it is probably a good idea to bring along some deodorant.
4. Hair Bands
It really is a pain to be moving around a lot and having your hair fly in your face. It tickles and gets in your way! Not to mention, when you’re done it probably looks all wild if you don’t have it pulled back. Hair ties are easy to lose track of and you may forget to bring one every time so perhaps consider getting a pack of them to always keep in your bag. That way, you know you for sure have them and can even loan them to others who need one!
5. Hairbrush
After you work-out, your hair is mussed and if you’re moving on to do other things that day, you want to look presentable. By packing along a small hairbrush or comb, you can quickly take care of any fly-aways and be ready to move onto other tasks!
6. Earbuds
Working out is a ton more fun when you can listen to our own music on your iPhone or iPod. It makes the time go faster and you have the chance to immerse yourself in your favorite tunes. Many of the machines at Beauchamp also have an insert where you can plug in your earbuds and watch something on the inset TV. Exercising becomes way less enjoyable when you forget your earbuds or headphones and then you either have to back home to get them or suffer in silence. You can find some cheap ones at Fred Meyers and just keep them in your bag so if you ever do leave your favorite pair at home, you still have some that you can use.
This is not an exhaustive list of everything you could possibly put in your gym bag, they are just some of the essentials. You can, of course, bring more items that you think you need but sometimes it’s better to bring as few things as possible. Remember that the lockers in Beauchamp are not that huge! Bring what you think you need to have an enjoyable work-out and be ready to sweat it out!