5 Workout Essentials

Disclaimer: I received the Joylink Jogging Belt in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own–yes, I really love it!

I may not be the one in the cutest outfit at the gym, but I’m always prepared to get my workouts in. For the past couple of months, my gym game has been consistent and I’m down a total of 15lbs since the beginning of September. Of course in my head, all my weight should be gone but I digress. If it weren’t for these 5 items (and the 2 hours at the gym being the only me time I get during the day), I wouldn’t be able to transform into beast mode while there.

1. My Phone

This is super obvious right? Honestly, I go nowhere without it. I have the iPhone 6+ since I thought a phablet was more appropriate for my lifestyle. Prior to working out, I normally consult one of my fitness Pinterest boards to help me come up with a way to kill myself in the gym. I’ll normally screenshot whatever workout I’m doing so I can quickly access it mid-workout. While I’m working out, I HAVE to listen to music. I normally will have one of the perfectly tailored playlists on Songza or I’m listening to Kevin Hart radio on Pandora–yes, I’m the strange lady in the gym randomly laughing.

2. Earbuds

I do love some of the Beats-style headphones, but the earbuds feel like they were made with my ears in mind. My favorite? The standard issued Apple earbuds. These never slip out of my ears and I like to have the mic just in case I get a call (I never answer the phone but in the highly unlikely event I do want to talk to the caller, I have that option) and need to chat. Or a more likely use is for when I’m on Periscope during my workouts. How crazy would I look just holding my phone up and talking WITHOUT earbuds?!

3. FitBit Surge

I did a review of my FitBit Surge awhile back and I am still rocking it hard. In my opinion, unless it’s tracked on the FitBit, it
didn’t happen. I love how they’ve added some new features for those of us who do interval training. My workouts are more often than not a HiiT workout so I’m constantly tracking the time. They have a new stopwatch/timer feature that is AWESOME! The only downfall is that it doesn’t work in the exercise more.Womp.

4. Water Bottle

I know–obvious right? Well, as Chris in the cafe reminds me every time I buy a bottle of water, it’s not so obvious. But it’s way better for both your pockets and the environment. My gym recycles which is really great (I am green after all) BUT it doesn’t replace a reusable bottle. Glass and aluminum bottles are the best but if you’re going for plastic, make sure it’s BPA free. Also, the best way to clean your water bottles is with some vinegar and warm water. This will disinfect your bottle safely. The more you know…

5. Joylink Jogger Belt

I know what you’re thinking–fanny packs haven’t been in since America’s Best Dance Crew. This is NOT a fanny pack. I opted to go with a waist pack over an arm band for a couple reasons. Having the 6+ means that my phone is huge. How distracting would it be having this huge phone on my arm as I’m trying to look like I know what I’m doing at the gym? No one would be able to focus on my questionable form with a phone looking like it’s about to go-go-gadget me into something on my arm. It’s too big giggle. The second reason is because I normally have my keys with me and that’s a lot to carry around in the gym. I literally pray my keys don’t get left or lost at the gym. While it’s not a fanny pack, the waist pack features a stretchy waistband that even makes my chub look slender, a touchscreen friendly outer cover, a place for my headphones to come through and a space to hold my keys. Even better is I have the option of wearing it under or over my clothes–depending on my level of geek-look I’m going for that day.