Any tips on going straight from the gym/pool to work?

helyg

I have decided that the best way to fit exercise into my daily routine is to use my flexi-time to start work a little bit later and go in between dropping the children at school breakfast club and starting work.

Trying to do it in the evenings is a nightmare as I am always exhausted and the children always have activities (Brownies, piano lessons, football training etc). Trying to do it really early and coming home to get ready for work and school doesn't work either as the gym doesn't open early enough.

So I need to master getting ready for work at the gym. I work in an office so need to be relatively smart, plus I will need to do my hair and make up. Any tips on getting this done quickly in a cramped and hot gym changing rooms?

Also I need to find a bag which fits everything in, but which is easy to carry as I will be travelling from home to the gym by public transport and then walking from the gym to work (walking around 3 miles a day). It also needs to be tidy looking as I will be taking it into the office.

Any tips appreciated!

ME0172

I do this most days of the week. I go straight from the gym to work. I don't have to walk the distance you do though. For a bag I use a big duffle bag. They make them with wheels on one side which might look better and not mess up office clothes by slinging it over your shoulder.

Getting ready for work in the gym locker room: (1) does the gym offer lockers to rent? This would cut down greatly on the amount of items you have to carry around all the time. If they do then rent the locker. You can keep all your shower stuff there, blow dryer, curling iron, and even an extra makeup bag there. I have 2 of everything and keep it in the locker. (2) Buy and use "dry shampoo". I only wash my hair every other day. I find this helps cut down not only on my hair drying out so much from daily washing, but on the amount of time spent getting ready at the gym. Using a blow drier in the locker room only makes it more hot in there and you'll find yourself trying to apply makeup while your face is still sweating. (3) Just do it. LOL. Sounds funny but after a week or so you'll find a routine that works for you in the locker room and when you find a routine you'll get ready quicker. I'm also military and have spend years showering in cramped hot locker rooms, at work as well as at gyms. Just do your thing and get yourself ready.

Some other things I use in the locker room: shower shoes (like the $2 cheap rubber flip flops.) I keep them in a plastic grocery bag in my bag or locker so they don't get anything else wet or dirty. When I have to carry my items with me I use a ziplock bag to keep my loofa in. Again so it doesn't get everything else in my bag wet. A short thin cotton robe or cover up. When I get out of the shower I put this on over my underwear instead of getting fully dresses right away. This will help you cool off more while doing your hair and makeup. I get dressed last. If I get fully dressed first I find I'm sweaty longer and my body doesn't cool off as fast. I also put my sweaty workout clothes in a plastic grocery bag so nobody can smell them outside my bag. I don't know if you could but I'm always afraid people would be able to smell my stinky gym clothes lol.

Here is my routine: Mornings - grab my bag that I loaded the night before. Evening after work: as soon as I get home I empty my bag of used items. Put dirty clothes in the laundry basket (open them all up so they don't mildew). Then I take out the loofa and shower shoes and set them on the side of my bag to dry. Load my bag with clothes for work and change towel (if you're not able to leave it hanging in a locker to dry). I do this AS SOON AS I get home every night. Then before I go to bed I put anything I have out drying (loofa and shower shoes, etc) back inside my bag. I am not a morning person so I know if I left myself to load my bag in the morning I would forget something. Oh one more thing - I have a friend that carried a small steamer with her to steam the folding wrinkles out of her clothes. I wasn't too worried about mine - to me they weren't that bad. But if you're a stickler for it or if you work somewhere that you have to be dressed really really nice, then you can buy a small travel steamer than will help.

I know this was a novel but I hope it helps. Good luck to you. And good for you for dedicating yourself to this. Once you've been doing it for a week or so it'll become an easy routine.

ChoiceNotChance

My gym provides towels, shampoo, etc. So I don't need to worry about those. I make sure I have my work clothes ready to load into my bag in advance so that I don't forget anything (underwear). I keep a makeup kit in my gym bag that has a duplicate of what I use at home. Since you have to walk and use public transportation, the other poster's suggestion of using a small bag with wheels is brilliant. After a few times you'll find what works best for you.

idmalone

All of the above - especially the locker rental. My work has a change room with lockers so I shower and change at work once I arrive, makes life easier. I struggled with bags a lot and here is what I built up through trial and error:

- invest in a small swim/ sport towel. You can get them at camping stores, super absorbent and small, so easy to carry.
- a nylon bag for smelly clothes inside the bag, plus one for stinky shoes (nothing worse than creating a stink bomb under your desk), again from the camping store
- I ended up getting a baby bag. They make very smart ones now and they have a ton of pockets, plus the inside is usually wipeable. I just took out the change pad. Honestly it looks like a nice tote, fits shoes and gym gear and has pockets for toiletries, plus I put my water bottle where the baby bottle goes. You can get them everywhere and I got mine on sale, I think it was around $40. Lou Harvey bags are also all kinds of awesome: http://www.louharvey.co.za/products/kids.htm I am dropping hints like crazy...
- a travel hairdryer if the gym has terrible ones

good luck! I have a 13 year old so exercise in the morning is my only hope... it is worth the extra effort,

shireeniebeanie

I recall seeing these on a site with neat stuff. Pricey, but people seem to like them:

http://www.thegrommet.com/fivesse

runningjen74

Spare set of clothes and shoes in work. Especially shoes/socks if you're walking in. Nothing worse than getting caught in the rain. Do you have lockers in work - you could change there after walking in your gym gear in to work?

Food - get your breakfasts made at the weekend and have them packed and ready to go and your water bottle. It might take you a while to work out what to eat before//after gym. I found it helped to have healthy snacks in work - fruit/nuts for me.

Sounds silly - but write out a list and first few times, check it at night when you pack your bag. I normally put on my gym clothes and walk to the gym, so on the few occasions I'm packing a bag, I mess it up - forget really obvious stuff, towel/bra/runners/etc...

acpgee

I would consider doing some of your grooming in the office, where it will be less cramped and more relaxed. Maybe blow dry in the gym, but make up at work.

lisajtubs

i also go straight to work from the gym. what works for me is as everybody else has said - pack bag the night before, lay out your gym clothes and also prep your lunch/snacks if required. We have a shower at work also, so I prefer to shower once i get to work. In my office i keep a set of shower toiletries, flip flops, towels and work shoes (work shoes take a lot of space in a gym bag, so i wear my trainers to and from the gym, and then just change them at work.) I also keep perfume at work so that i dont have to carry a bottle around. I pop my towels on the radiators in the evening when everyone is leaving for the day, and bring fresh ones in on non gym days, along with a weeks supply of breakfast goods and snacks.

you can make it work with a bit of planning! I also jog to the gym instead of driving so cardio is done when i get there!