I always start my preparation for working out, in the gym or outside, at home. Depending on the intensity and nature of the exercises, I take either L-carnitine (for endurance when I have two workouts one after the other) or I prepare myself a protein mousse to boost my energy levels about 30-40 minutes prior exercising.
I prepare my protein mousse by mixing the following ingredients:
- whey protein – I love the Dymatize‘s rich chocolate flavour
- 1 tablespoon of cashew butter
- 1 tablespoon of chia
- 1 banana
I put everything in the blender and add some warm water or warm nut milk. I leave the cremy substance for at least 30 minutes as it is important the chia to absorb all the liquids. Then I eat this delicious treat with a spoon because the consistency reminds of a Nutela chocolate 🙂 If you prefer a more fluid drink you should add at least 350 ml of water/milk.
After taking care of my energy and tone, I prepare my sports bag adding some essentials along with my sports mats. Over the years, I have gone through a variety of sports bag brands ranging from O’neil to Nike. This year, I had to replace my favorite O’neil with a new bag. Unfortunately, regardless of my efforts to find something nice, both in-store and online, there was nothing that truly appealed to me. All brands, including the high-end ones like Armani, Cavalli, Michael Kors, etc., offer identical models that look rather boring. That’s why I completely changed my usual brand preferences and explored something completely new and attractive – MadPax. The model I bought is extremely simple, but if you are looking for something really attractive, the brand offers unique 3D models.
The bag is super comfortable with plenty of conveniently placed pockets where you can easily fit a bottle of water and a protein bar. Inside there is a compartment for a laptop, which, besides training, makes it also suitable for trips.
I have been looking for a mat for a very long time and finally, after reading all rankings, recommendations and reviews, I bought the Yoga Matters one. The fabric is super soft and nice and my sweaty palms and feet do not slip at all, ensuring that I will not end up making an unplanned splits. It is easy to clean, super light and could be rolled into a thin roll. You can easily put it in your bag. For me, the mat is an item that needs to be renewed often, so the price matters and this one is quite affordable (it cost me something between 30-40 pounds).
The other MUST have item in my bag is the water bottle as I love hydrating myself constantly. I also usually get a banana that I eat about 30 minutes after my workout in order to regain my energy.
The two most important things that I always take with me are my FitBit Charge 2 and the headphones that I purchased again after a thorough research. For the FitBit, I promise to write a separate article as nowadays I can not imagine my life and sports routine without it. The headphones that I use are Monster Clarity (bought them for about 80 pounds). I am super happy with them as they connect with my phone via bluetooth and hence there are no cables wandering around my head and body as I run or jump. They are specially developed for sports activities and could be dampened without any unpleasant consequences. They are super easy to clean and perfectly isolate from the external sounds so that I can enjoy your favorite playlist.
As you have noticed, I avoid taking any unnecessary things like perfumes, hair brushes, towels, and so on. This, of course, depends on whether I am taking a quick shower at the gym after working out or head home. I always strive for option two:) However, if you have to use the shower in the gym, because you use your lunch break to exercise or you simply you do not have a car and do not want to leave the gym sweaty, it is important to put in your bag sports clothes, sneakers, socks, flip flops, towel, shampoo, shower gel, brush, hairdryer and cosmetics / makeup.
XXX
The Mermaid
