Exercise used to be a means to a smaller pants size. Now, it’s something so much greater. It’s a means to sanity.
Our bodies were designed to move, and I can feel when my body is craving movement. I’ll usually get agitated, restless, and maybe even a little anxious. When this happens, I know I have way too much stored stress energy in my body, and my body’s begging me to do something about it.
Exercise is hands down the best way to discharge stored stress from the body. When you engage in movement, your nervous system discharges unused energy that was released during a stressful moment. Trust me, you want this! To help inspire you to move your booty at the gym (today’s post is targeted for gym specific workouts) I wanted to share a few of my 7 gym must haves.
My 7 Gym Must Haves
Top
I'm not a fan of tight fitting shirts when working out. I want something loose and comfy, yet stylish. That's where the All Yours Short Sleeve T-Shirt from Lululemon comes in. It's lightweight, breathable, and doesn't leave me feeling like a bum in a baggy shirt.
Pant
I love me some high intensity cardio, which means my body is moving a lot. Nothing bugs me more than wearing pants that don't move with me, or worse, pants I have to continuously pull up. I got a pair of black Lululemon Align High-Rise Pants (the 25″ and I'm 5'5″) for Christmas and it was love at first wear. They seriously feel like butter on your skin, they are light weight, and you can move around like a ninja in them without any issues. While they are more on the spendy side, I promise you, they are worth every penny. I love them so much, I ordered a second pair.
Shoes
I'm still on the hunt for a running shoe, but NOBULL's black trainer is hands down the best weight lifting shoe I've ever worn. I feel strong in my stance when lifting and my balance is on point. I'm not wobbling all over because the sole of the shoe is flat. I also love this shoe for the stair stepper because I do a lot of balance work on it and the flat sole allows me to stabilize my core better.
Energy
I used to ALWAYS take a pre-workout before I exercised. It gave me energy on days I didn't want to be at the gym and I felt it shifted me from sloth mode to beast mode. The only downfall was that I felt cracked out. My face would itch, my body got tingly, and it did a number on my hormones. I gave it up for a few years and desperately missed it. I just didn't feel my workouts were the same without it. On a hunt for a milder version of my beloved energy boost, I looked for options that were kinder to my nervous system.
My current fave is Ora's Renewable Energy Performance Pre-Workout in Raspberry Lemonade. If you're used to heavy hitter pre-workouts you most likely won't like this one because it's a night and day difference from traditional pre-workouts. Consider this one the Zen of pre-workouts. It gives you a little boost of energy, without feeling like you could hulk smash gym equipment.
Headphones
AirPods Pro are my go-to headphones for working out. I'm a mover and a shaker in the gym, and I've had no issues with these headphones staying in.
Tunes
Let's just say that my gym playlist is the farthest thing from my personality EVER. Outside of the gym, you can catch me listening to some Bob Segar, Garth Brooks, 90s Mariah Carey, Fleetwood Mac, but that all changes when I'm at the gym. When I'm at the gym, I'm there to do work. I want music that'll match the tempo of my heart and inspire me to push harder. Enter The Seige Radio playlist on Spotify (I listen to Eminem Radio too). You'll never catch me playing this music outside the gym, but it's my go-to gym jams.
Stair Stepper
Bobby the booty builder (I swear you're more inspired to workout when you name your machine) is my absolute fave way to get cardio in. I always walk away feeling stronger, confident, and extremely sweaty.
There you have it, friend! I hope my 7 gym must haves inspires you to get up and move. If the gym isn't your jam, no worries. Lace up your sneakers and head outside. A walk in nature does wonders for your overall mental well-being.
Curious how I reframed my view on exercise? Click here to read all about it.