Coming up with the first substantive "Workout Wednesday" post is a bit daunting. There are so many things we can discuss when to comes to working out (where do we shop, what are our preferred workout methods, how do we workout on vacation). As this is a blog by real working women for real working women, we want to talk to you about motivation, types of workouts that are effective, scheduling, and of course, looking good while sweating. So let's go chronologically.
Good for you!!! You've decided you're going to work out. For those of you that live in a small city or suburban area and/or work regular business hours, you probably don your super cute workout outfit in the comfort of your bedroom. After getting your sweat on, you come home to your own bathroom, peel off your sweaty layers, and hop in the shower. For those of us that are public transit commuters/have to squeeze a workout into the lunch hour/work out far from home, we need to travel with clothes, shoes, and potentially a full change of clothes. How do we get everything we need to where we're going, without knocking people over, taking up too much space on the train, fitting everything into a gym locker, and still be relatively organized in the hectic gym locker room?
I think all of us here at Not a Corporate Fashun Blog have gotten onto the backpack train. Some of us still use a tote, and we have some suggestions for you if that's the way you want to go. No judgment. But the backpack is where it's at. Why? For one, when you carry a tote to work (separate post on great work totes coming soon!), you already have something on your shoulder. Adding a bag to the other shoulder is cumbersome and makes you not popular when commuting. A backpack is easy to slip on and you won't take up a lot of space. Second: backpacks tend to have compartments, which makes it easy to stay organized. Put your workout clothes in one pouch. Working out before going to the office? Put your toiletries in one section, clothes in another to avoid spilling disasters. Two workouts in one day? (We do it occasionally- yoga in the morning, then to work, then a run afterwards downtown.) Separate AM getting ready stuff from PM workout needs. Just be sure there's a handy pouch to put your locker lock in.
Some backpack options:
Good for you!!! You've decided you're going to work out. For those of you that live in a small city or suburban area and/or work regular business hours, you probably don your super cute workout outfit in the comfort of your bedroom. After getting your sweat on, you come home to your own bathroom, peel off your sweaty layers, and hop in the shower. For those of us that are public transit commuters/have to squeeze a workout into the lunch hour/work out far from home, we need to travel with clothes, shoes, and potentially a full change of clothes. How do we get everything we need to where we're going, without knocking people over, taking up too much space on the train, fitting everything into a gym locker, and still be relatively organized in the hectic gym locker room?
I think all of us here at Not a Corporate Fashun Blog have gotten onto the backpack train. Some of us still use a tote, and we have some suggestions for you if that's the way you want to go. No judgment. But the backpack is where it's at. Why? For one, when you carry a tote to work (separate post on great work totes coming soon!), you already have something on your shoulder. Adding a bag to the other shoulder is cumbersome and makes you not popular when commuting. A backpack is easy to slip on and you won't take up a lot of space. Second: backpacks tend to have compartments, which makes it easy to stay organized. Put your workout clothes in one pouch. Working out before going to the office? Put your toiletries in one section, clothes in another to avoid spilling disasters. Two workouts in one day? (We do it occasionally- yoga in the morning, then to work, then a run afterwards downtown.) Separate AM getting ready stuff from PM workout needs. Just be sure there's a handy pouch to put your locker lock in.
Some backpack options:
- Yes, it's Lululemon. Yes it's pricey. However, both Katie 1 and Elizabeth have older versions of this backpack and are very pleased. It's comfortable, it holds a ton of stuff, and is engineered with a pedestrian commuter in mind (our versions even have a laptop sleeve).
- Katie 1 is obsessed with Sweaty Betty (check back here soon for a post about her love of Lululemon's British cousin). If this backpack is like everything else she's purchased, the quality will be good, it will be smartly designed, and will look super cool.
- This sub $100 option has a really cool front compartment that looks like it's good for shoes/toiletries.
- This is a beloved brand by many a commuter, but we can't vouch for it because none of us own anything from them. But look at the Cloud Pink version with brown leather detail!
- Super good deal alert.
If you're not sold on the backpack idea, or if commuting isn't really an issue, then a tote may be for you. Elizabeth likes her backpack, but finds on certain days it is hard to fit everything she needs. The cavernous open space of a tote allows her to jam in two workout outfits, a work outfit, her makeup bag, and going home clothes. It is heavy AF and a total pain to carry (which is why we all sing the praises of a backpack) but sometimes a tote just works better. If possible, choose a smaller purse to carry when lugging a full gym tote to minimize the space you take up on the train.
Non backpack options:
- Kate Spade. Because Katie 2 can't help it.
- This bag is a classic. It's foldable and packable, which means it will get lots of use outside of the gym if you're a traveler. (Bonus- if you live in a city like Chicago that charges for shopping bags, you can carry this in your regular tote on non-gym days to avoid paying a stupid 7 cents for a damn bag.)
- Lulu again, sorry. But they have great organization!
An important thing to remember no matter what type of bag you choose is cleaning. Dirty shoes, sweaty shirts, toiletries are going to be thrown into your bag, so be sure to get something that you can easily wipe and/or throw into the wash machine. Look for bags that come with smaller bags you can use for dirty clothes or shoes. (We're looking at you, Lulu!)
Comments
Post a Comment