Kit & Gear

9 Essential Accessories for your Gym Bag

From mini foam rollers to a non-slip water bottle, the right gym accessories can help every fitness enthusiast have a more effective, stress-free workout. Here’s our pick of the best accessories to fit in your gym bag.

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1. MINI FOAM ROLLER

Compact and light, this brilliant recovery tool is like carrying a massage around in your bag. Foam rolling helps boost blood flow and oxygen to tired muscles, provides targeted massage for painful knots and kinks and helps speed up recovery by helping aching muscles repair faster. Pop it in your bag and use it after your workout to promote active recovery and increase flexibility and mobility.

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2. KINESIOLOGY TAPE

A must-have for your gym bag, especially if you’re in injury rehab, kinesiology tape helps you to target problem areas and provides support where you need it most. It works by lifting the skin away from muscle tissue, decompressing the area and increasing blood flow to the muscles. This helps relieve swelling and inflammation, actively promoting recovery and the body’s natural healing process. It can also help relieve pressure on nerve endings, reducing or even completely stopping pain at its source. Have it on hand to support weaker areas and as an injury rehabilitation aid.

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3. A GOOD WATER BOTTLE

We all know that effective hydration is key to a good workout, but one water bottle is the same as another, right? Wrong. Make sure your water bottle is easy grip, easy carry, and that it’s easy to take on water during your workout - without fiddling with the lid or pouring water down your T-shirt. A side-gauge also lets you know how much fluid you’re taking on. Water bottles can also be a haven for germs, so make sure it’s dishwasher-safe and labelled BPA-free for extra safety.

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4. HEADPHONES

Working out to music has proven benefits, including a more focused, effective workout and elevated performance and effort. But the last thing you want is to be distracted from your workout by tangled wires or buds falling out of your ears. A good set of sport-specific wireless headphones that are lightweight, sweat resistant and fit securely make a huge difference to your workout – so all you’ll need to worry about is what’s on your playlist.

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5. TRAINING GLOVES

Callouses and painful blisters from lifting can really put a downer on your training. A good pair of training gloves helps cushion your palms while you’re lifting weights, reducing friction while also improving grip, helping boost performance. Look for leather gloves that protect your palm without sacrificing your feel on the bar, with wraps at the wrist for additional support.

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6. GYM/YOGA MAT

Most gym classes provide a mat, but many people prefer to take their own. A yoga mat helps provide a layer of warmth and cushioning between your body and the floor, and also helps provide additional stability during certain movements and positions. It should be non-slip, cushioned and most importantly long enough for your height, so that your head and feet don’t hang over the edge.

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7. SPORTS WATCH OR FITNESS TRACKER

Perfect for providing invaluable insight into your daily routine and performance, these devices allow you to monitor your progress and establish what works and what doesn’t in your training. Whether you choose a high performance sports watch or an everyday fitness tracker, most will track metrics such as steps taken, distance, calorie burn and heart rate, helping you monitor your effort and progress as you go along.

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8. RESISTANCE BAND

Lightweight, easily portable and ultra-effective, resistance bands help build strength and mobility by making your muscles work against force (resistance). Resistance bands come in varying levels of tension and can be used almost anywhere – this is useful if you’re waiting around for a machine – and allow you a more flexible, customised approach. Most importantly, this is a very safe way of strength building without adding pressure to joints.

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9. ANTI CHAFE BALM

Repetitive motion during your workout, combined with sweat and the fabric of your kit can lead to rubbing and skin irritation. Anti-chafe balm protects your skin in key areas without blocking sweat. Apply to chafe-prone areas before working out to prevent discomfort before it starts.

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