what’s in my gym bag

What’s in my bag, how very retro!   Kinda feels like going back to the blogging olden days with this one.  I’ll be doing ’20 facts about me next’ (saying that in jest, but I probably will).  Anyway, Kipling asked if I fancied styling one of their ‘playful but functional’ bags in my own way, and my first thought was that it’d work great as a gym bag.  I was correct.  I spend a lot of my time in activewear so it’s only right that it pops up on the blog every now and then!  Not gonna lie, sometimes I just dress myself in my fit kit first thing in the morning when I’m only going to the gym in the evening because it’s just comfier.  Love me a bit of lycra.

When it comes to actual activewear my drawer is overflowing (my leggings addiction is verging on ridiculous), but I’ve only recently started using an actual gym bag.  I used to just take my phone, gym card and a water bottle with me tucked into my pockets, then started using a small bag with a few other bits and bobs, and slowly I accumulated more and more ‘stuff’ to necessitate a bigger bag, as I realised after dropping a load of change from one of the pockets on the floor because my teeny bag was too jam packed.  I don’t think this one isn’t designed to be a sports bag, but it does the job just nicely and I don’t need a mahoosive bag.  Just about time I sorted myself out and found a functional but cute one to carry all my ‘detritis’ as my mum calls it.  On that note, onto the actual ‘what’s in my bag’ part.

— Lifting gloves.  Because I am a wimp who does not want calloused hands and metal bars hurt.  Once I’d been in the gym, doing deadlifts and all that leg day jazz without gloves, and received a text from my agency asking if I could quickly send in some ‘hand selfies’ for a potential jewellery job.  Needless to say my photos of my red, sore, kinda scratchy hands, taken in the gym car park, didn’t get me the job.  Lesson learnt, wear lifting gloves!

— A mini tin of hairgrips.  Because no matter HOW many I have, they ALWAYS disappear.  Take 2 grips out of the tin to pin my fringe back, pop them in the inside pocket of the bag when I take my hair down afterwards, and where are they when I look for them next time?  Gone.  Never to be seen again.  I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND.  Same goes for bobbles.  I don’t believe in God or ghosts but I do believe in an invisible hair grip eating beast.

— Stick deodorant.  Because it’s the only kind that doesn’t A) feel slimy, or B) leave white marks all over my clothes. I always seem to end up with weird white marks on my knees after the gym anyway (wtf is on the floor that turns your knees white when you kneel down to stretch?) so I can live without extra white marks under my arms.  Old school deodorant for me.

— 3 different lip balms.  Not because I’m a lip balm conosseiur with different balms for different functions, but because I can never remember whether there’s already one in there so add another just in case.  Anyone else’s lips get seriously dry during workouts?  Obviously it’s due to breathing through your mouth more, but gawd it’s annoying.

— A hairbrush.  Sometimes I remember to brush my hair after a workout when I inevitably look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards, sometimes I don’t.  You win some, you lose some.  Girls who have mastered the effortless messy bun gym hair – HOW?  How does it not just flop to the side of your head like some kind of dodgy noughties side ponytail and leave you with a halo of frizz everywhere else?  Whilst we’re on the topic, how is it possible to scrape your hair back into a sporty spice style ponytail without looking like an egg?  So many questions.  I’ve given up and go for the failsafe low loose ponytail every time.

Bag: c/o Kipling (available exclusively in stores) | leggings: Mondetta | trainers: Matalan

— Whatever random combination of items I’ve been sent to the shop for on my way home from the gym.  Now that I can drive myself places finally (not getting the bus to the gym was literally the main reason I wanted to pass my test), my family have been taking advantage and giving me shopping lists.  Worcester sauce and chocolate milkshake was the latest bizarre combo to be in this bag after the ASDA run.

— A stack of business cards.  Never know when they might come in handy!  So much easier to just pass one of these on if someone asks about my blog rather than try to dictate ‘It’s JoliHouse.com, but not spelt like the word jolly’ and end up awkwardly writing it in their phone.

— A pair of cheapo sunglasses.  I’ve finally learnt that it’s easier to keep a pair of random sunglasses stashed in your bag at all times than forget, think ‘It’s England, it’s never sunny’, then get blinded as you go round a bend in winter sun or nearly walk into a lamppost because you’re looking at the floor.

Plus some other boring items like a water bottle and pack of paracetamol.  And y’know, my keys and stuff.

Lily Kate x

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This post is sponsored by Kipling