A lot of us don’t have time during the day to do a workout other than during our lunch hour. Working out during lunch, however, means you need to bring your super heavy gym bag to work with you in addition to all the other bags you’re already carrying. I mean, who really wants that, right? Not me! That’s why I came up with a few tricks to help you bring a more compact gym bag to work, so you’ll never miss another lunchtime workout.
Head straight to the travel section in the pharmacy
Seriously, you can find everything in tiny sizes in that section. We’re talking travel size soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, baby powder and the list goes on! You name it, they got it. Trust me, all of your necessities will fit seamlessly in a small portable toiletry bag, which will take up half the size of the regular bottles you normally take with you.
Find it too expensive to buy travel size products? No worries! Get yourself empty travel size containers instead. They are half the cost of buying small versions of your essentials and you can fill them with your very own products. As much as it’s a little bit more time consuming, it can be worth it if you’re looking to save a buck or two.
Pack less bulky workout clothing.
Choose your pieces wisely. Packing a pair of shorts instead of leggings is already a huge space saver. Shorts are a lot easier to fold and contain much less fabric to store than a pair of long, thick leggings. Same thing goes when choosing a workout top. The baggier/bulkier the shirt, the more space it takes up.
Bring a couple of microfiber towels for both your shower and your workout
These towels are total game changers! The fibbers in the towels absorb the moisture very quickly, making them extremely fast-drying. This is so great for preventing that mouldy smell in your bag and for making washing a lot easier. You can easily find these on Amazon (here) and they aren’t even very expensive either!
Prep for makeup touch-ups
Of course, since your workout is in the middle of your day, a makeup touch-up after your workout is essential. An easy way to do so without bringing your entire makeup collection (that probably weighs 50 pounds and takes up all the room in your bag) is to get your hands on free samples.
You can pack a small makeup bag with samples of your favorite powder, concealer, mini eyeliner, perfume and more. You can get samples of all your favourite products for free at Sephora if you simply ask them to try the products out. They usually give you quite a bit to work with (especially if you get foundation), which should definitely last you a few weeks.
Carry earphones
Carry earphones with you as opposed to headphones. Evidently earphones take up 1/100thof the space in your gym as opposed to your headphones (ok, that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get what I mean). Anyway, if you want to run on the treadmill, I’m not sure how your headphones would really stay put. Earphones do the trick and are really the way to go.
Figure out your other essentials
I mean an obvious, absolutely necessary piece to bring would be your running shoes. Unless you’re taking a Yoga, Barre or Pilates class, you won’t get very far in your workout without a pair of sneakers. As expected, they should be the main item that takes up the most space. Another item I always carry is a pair of flip-flops. I wear them after my workout in the shower for hygiene purposes (who knows what crawls on the floor of those bathrooms… am I right?!)
In sum, the article that should take the most space in your bag is your pair of running shoes. Everything else should be in a miniature format.
