How I Organize My Gym Bag To Set Myself Up For Workout Success

One of the things that used to derail me the most from a workout was getting all my stuff together to go to gym. Packing everything up was a pain in the butt, and I’d often be in a rush and then I’d inevitably forget something and be totally annoyed.

Then I got smart and set up a bag for the gym.

Here is my gym bag. It’s nothing fancy.

It’s a 12-year-old tote bag from LL Bean, and I like it because it’s sturdy and stands up well and I can easily find stuff in it.

Plus I didn’t want to spend any money on a new bag.

Inside my bag I have a bunch of smaller bags.

Here is what is inside all of those:

All this stuff stays in my gym bag and never comes out.

I have a second hair dryer and a second flat iron.

I keep a spare bathing suit and small towel.

I have a big clear toiletry bag with all the stuff I need — deodorant, hair spray, tweezers, lotion, chapstick, scissors, Q-tips, mascara, spare reading glasses, band aids, pads tampons (I don’t need the tampons anymore, but there is always someone who needs one), flossers, etc.

I stole a pencil case from Number 5 and I have a spare charger and headphones in there just in case I forget my good ones.

I have a mesh bag that was for delicate laundry that I keep shampoo, conditioner, a razor, etc. in. When I take a shower I just hang it on the shower caddy and then let it drip dry while I’m getting dressed.

I keep a spare t-shirt, shorts, sports bra and pair of socks in a Ziploc bag in case I’m not dressed for the gym before I leave (like if I’m going there after running errands or an appointment, etc.) and I forget something.

It all fits easily inside my bag. Before I leave, all I have to do is throw a towel, my sneakers, and any clothes I might need on top, and I’m good to go.

I leave it right by my closet door, and I just have to grab it on my way out. I have to think about nothing.

I also have a separate mesh bag for my swim stuff. I keep this in the back of my car. I never take it out. You can find this one here on Amazon (affiliate).

It’s got my fins, a kick board, a pool buoy, paddles, my cap, and goggles in it. I never have to even think about that.

Having these two bags ready to go every day prevents me from wasting 5 or 10 or 30 minutes searching for stuff every day or missing a class because I couldn’t find something.

If you are struggling with getting to the gym or the pool, you might want to set up a gym/pool bag for yourself and eliminate one thing getting in your way of staying healthy!

It’s made a huge difference for me!

Look cute while you manage the chaos. Click here.