Hello EXFO readers! I applaud those of you who have committed some time to be active. Some of you might have joined a gym at the start of the year, and others of you may be doing home workouts. If you are one of those folks who have not joined a gym but are considering joining one, this blog post is for you! Here are the top 5 items you want to bring with you on your first gym day.

#5. Headphones

You will notice that almost everyone at the gym is in their own little world. That is because nearly all gym goers are jamming to their own music instead of the typically obnoxious gym music that is being piped in. Music can be very motivational, consider making a gym workout playlist that is the duration of your intended workout. This way when the final song comes on, it will signal you that you are almost done and can head home!

#4. Towel

If you are planning on showering at the gym a regular towel and flip-flops are essential. If you are not planning on showering, I still highly recommend bringing a “sweat towel.” This is a smaller towel you can put over the bench you are laying on or on the yoga mats provided by the gym. Yes, you should wipe down the equipment before and after using it but by having this towel you add a barrier between you and the gym-provided equipment. Plus, if you are doing cardio, it will make you more comfortable to be able to wipe excess sweat off. It used to be more common practice for even mid-level gyms to provide towel service but since the pandemic, this is less and less common.

#3. Lock

Some gyms provide lockable lockers, but many do not! Gyms that don’t provide locks often sell locks on-site at a ridiculous price. Beat the price hike and bring your combination lock. I recommend a combination lock so that you don’t have to carry around a key you could potentially lose while you’re working out.

#2. Water bottle

Gyms should have drinking fountains that you can use in a pinch, however, it is more hygienic and you’ll likely consume more water if you have your water bottle with you. I would not recommend a glass container as they are potentially not allowed in many areas of the gym such as the sauna or pool areas.

#1. Workout Plan

Come to the gym prepared! Yes, you will be walking back and forth looking for equipment for your first few visits. It is normal to feel self-conscious about this but trust me, NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU, everyone is more concerned about how THEY look to notice you. Hold your head up high, feel proud for showing up, signing up, and getting acquainted with the gym floor. That was a huge step!

I would advise you to have some sort of plan for your workout before starting or you may feel overwhelmed and duck out earlier than you planned. There are many beginner workouts available on the internet. If you want something more tailored to fit your needs and your goals, I offer a low cost monthly workout plan of on-demand workouts you can follow with the Exhalo Fortis Fitness App. Check out some options here!

YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE

A lot of times you can get away with getting free gym access on your initial visit to the gym so it’s wise to bring the items above to fully take advantage of the free visit. If you are still shopping around for a gym here’s a post on how to choose the perfect gym.

As always, feel free to send me any questions. What else would you add to this list? Comment below!