So I may not always post about fitness but when I do, it’s always on Friday. Yes, I just wanted to type that out because I get a kick out of taking ad tag lines and making them work for the blog. And yes, I am a loser.

When it comes to working out, I keep it pretty consistent. Not because I’m some super motivated health expert, mostly it’s the opposite. I tend to have a pretty laissez-faire attitude on what I eat so if I didn’t work out, things would be bad. Also, it makes me feel better after sitting at a desk all day and my clothes fit better (mostly that’s what keeps me going). Now how’s that for sharing some motivation to get you excited to get healthy? Hey, I gotta keep it honest.

For today’s post, Meijer asked me to share how I get motivated  to hit the gym in the new year (beyond just wanting to fit in my jeans) and like the huge organization nerd I am, being totally prepared for something automatically makes me more motivated. This is especially true when it comes to working out. When my gym bag is packed up with all my favorite essentials, I feel more obligated to actually hit the gym or make it to that Orange Theory class. Really just having a gym bag and not some random grocery bag with my clothes in them is already a major victory.

We all know that cute workout gear will make you a little happier trudging off to the gym but is there ANY bigger bummer than getting to the gym without a hair tie? Or socks? I’ve done both and it’s made me want to throw in the towel. Literally, throw down my workout sweat towel (yeah I know, gross) and leave. So I’m definitely advocating grabbing some new gear if that gets you going but here’s a few things I can’t live without when it comes to making the most out of my workout.

*  Fitbit. People with fun social lives are always saying “Pics or it doesn’t count” or at least that’s what I imagine they’re saying as I scroll through their Instagram feeds on Friday night while I watch Netflix on my couch. Well when it comes to the gym, for me, it’s Fitbit or it didn’t count. I have a Fitbit Surge and I love it. Yes, it’s a little big but you can customize your workout, use the GPS function to track your run (great for those of you training for a mini or full marathon) or get credit for all the calories you’re burning at spin class. Plus it tracks your heart rate. Lately I’m obsessed with getting my resting heart rate down (difficult while pregnant) so it’s a feature I’ve come to depend on. If you don’t want to go for the big guy, the Fitbit Charge HR also has a heart rate monitor. And if you have a Fitbit, find me on the app and we can do step challenges (I suck at these but love the challenge).

* Scunci Jelly Hair Ties. Okay I know you’re like, seriously Danielle – we all know what hair ties look like. BUT these are a little different, even if you can’t tell in the pic. These ones are made out of a jelly, rubber material so they don’t budge. At all. I will say that makes it kind of hard to take your pony tail down at the end of a workout but they keep you from having to re-do your pony tail four times in a work out class because it keeps falling down or coming loose. I love love love these but you’ve been warned about taking down the pony tail.

Side note, I’d just keep these in your gym bag. They are a little aggressive for just a random, I haven’t washed my hair, ponytail.

* Shaker Bottle. A while back I tried to kick my coffee addiction (didn’t go so well) and substituted Spark for coffee. Then it evolved to having Spark and coffee which left me especially wired. Until number three arrives, I’m skipping the Spark but you can guarantee afterwards it will be back in my pre-workout routine. I keep one of these shaker bottles in my bag with a scoop of Spark in it so that I can just add ice and water before hitting the gym.

* Larabar. I love these bars because they don’t have that weird fake sweetener taste that a lot of protein bars tend to have. They also have some of the best/most unique flavors. If I’m doing a lunch time work out, I’ll have one of these before hand. If it’s an afternoon/evening class, I’m usually starving afterwards so I’ll snack on one to tide me over before dinner. My tip is to stock up on these when they go on sale.

* A good head band. Do any of you suffer from the same random wisps of hair that cannot be contained with a simple hair tie? Keeping one of these in my bag keeps me from having to tuck hairs behind my ears every two seconds and keeps hair off my face when doing burpees or any other assorted jumping things at Orange Theory.

* Sneakers and Socks. Again, you’re like DUH Danielle, you need shoes and socks to work out. But I’ve forgotten socks way more than I’d like to admit and my shoes have suffered for it. Now, when I pack my gym back I try to remember to stuff my socks into my shoes so I don’t end up leaving those behind. I’ve also gotten in to the habit the last couple years of buying a new pair of running shoes at the beginning of the year. It’s like a fresh start for your feet (and yes, I do realize how silly that sentence sounds). Snag a couple new pairs of socks at the same time – you know the good ones with padding that cost way more than you want to spend on socks, your feet will thank you after that long run. p.s. – i love these Nike Theas.

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The best part is that you can snag all of these gym bag essentials on your next grocery trip to Meijer (saves you an extra trip out). Not only do they have a Larabar selection that will have you acting like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep but you can snag all kinds of post-workout snacks, workout gear and hair ties for days.

Thanks so much to Meijer for the workout goodies to kick of the new year and for inspiring me to bring back the Fitness Friday posts. As always, all opinions, random ramblings and comments are my own.