Nowadays, going to the gym has become an essential routine in our daily life. Whether it’s to stay fit, gain weight, lose it, or maintain it, every one of us has a clear goal in mind that motivates us to keep going. One of the hardest challenges that come with being a gym addict is finding time to fit a 1 or 2-hour workout session into a tight schedule. Maybe you have school, work, or a family to attend to, so being as efficient as possible during your time at the gym should be your top priority. One of the best ways to do that and to save a ton of time is to shower at the gym right after your workout and before work so you don’t have to worry about it when you go home, but how exactly can you do that?
Showering at the gym before work is an easy task as long as you bring with you a bag that contains all shower essentials which include plastic bags for your dirty clothes and wet towels, office clothes, post-workout meals, and lunch.
In this article, we’ll talk about how you can shower at the gym before work and all the essentials that you need to pack in your bag to do so.
Table of Contents
How to Shower at the Gym Before Work
In order to find out the answer, we first need to identify the most common problems that come with working out before going to work and look for their equivalent solutions.
Identifying the Problems
And by “problems”, what I really mean is what happens when you work out. First of all, after a 1 or 2-hour workout session, you’ll automatically be sweating like crazy, and since you’ll be going to work afterward, you’ll need some sort of bag to put all your dirty wet clothes.
In addition to that, a good workout session is gonna consume all your energy which is something that you need later on during the day, feeling exhausted before even starting your office work hours is not a good idea, this means that you need to bring something that will replenish your energy and help you survive the day.
Two other important factors to keep in mind, since you’ll be going to work directly after your workout session, you can’t wear the same gym clothes that you trained in, otherwise, you’ll look weird to your co-workers, what’s more, you’ll need to stay fresh and smell good for your work, so a water-only shower won’t cut it.
Finding the Solutions
Now that we identified the common problems that come with showering before work, we can find a solution for every single one of them in order to find out exactly what you need to bring with you.
The first problem is the sweaty clothes that you’ll have after your workout and the wet towel after your shower, you’ll need a plastic bag for each one of them.
The second problem is all the energy that’s going to be drained from you during your workout, this means that you’ll need to bring some sort of a quick post-workout meal that you can consume right after your workout, and don’t forget to pack your lunch as well.
The third problem is the gym clothes that you can’t be wearing in your office unless you want to look weird, so you’ll also need to bring with you your office clothes, and that includes your shirt, pants, and shoes (and other accessories if that’s what you like)
The fourth problem is the fact that you want to smell good even after your workout in order to stay fresh and elegant during your office hours, so you’ll need to bring shampoo and soap for your shower.
And last but not least, don’t forget your towel (I’ve personally faced this problem many times, and trust me, it’s not enjoyable), as well as some shower sandals to keep your feet safe.
Here’s What You Need to Bring (Recap)
What you need to be wearing: Your gym clothes which you’ll change later on after your shower
What you need in your bag: Shampoo, soap, shower sandals, post-workout meals (protein shakes and snacks), lunch, towel, plastic bag for wet towel, plastic bag for dirty clothes, plastic bag for sandals, and your office clothes
Here’s a graphic representation if you’re more of a visual learner:
Additional Tips
- Don’t use Ziploc bags for wet clothes, it’ll stink
- Make sure to tie your plastic bags that contain your wet clothes tightly to avoid any bad smell
- Don’t jump to the shower straight after your workout and wait till you cool off a little bit. If you shower while you’re still hot, you’ll only sweat even more
- If you have the possibility, leave some of your office clothes at work to minimize what you bring in your bag and to have a backup in case you forget to bring some one day
Conclusion:
Working out before going to work is one of the best things that you can do if you’re short on time, it wakes you up in the morning and gives you energy throughout the day, reduces stress, clears your mind, helps you with your decision-making, and more importantly, saves you a ton of time.
However, in order to save even more time, make sure to use the showers at your gym facilities and follow everything I’ve said in this article.
