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What You Can Include in Your Gym Bag

  • Workout clothes
    This is the basic necessity for your workout routine. You would not be training in your casuals. You cannot even forget your socks. It could lead to a painful predicament. Depending on the difficulty of your workout, you must include your workout tees and tracksuit or whatever you are comfortable with it. You can also add a headgear and a pair of eye goggles.

  • Water bottle
    You need to carry a water bottle unless you prefer to wait at the water hole. There are a variety of cool designs available. Some bottles are foldable. It will provide more space when empty. A protein shaker is also what you can carry with you if you wish to have some protein shots before your workout. Always use non-toxic BPA products.

  • Personal care and cosmetics
    You need to cool off after a tough training schedule. To be back in shape, you need to carry your personal care items with you. Do put in your toiletries; viz. soap, shampoo, deodorant, a towel, a comb, moisturiser, etc. It is ideal to have a smaller bag and pack these in. Do lookout periodically to check if it needs any replenishment.

7 Essential Gym Accessories

Lifting Straps

Source flipkart.com

How is it helpful
If you regularly do weight training, then you must be aware of the lifting straps. It is an absolute necessity for newbies and the experienced ones alike. Correctly holding the dumbbells will ensure the effectiveness of the weight training. If you find difficulty in grasping the dumbbells, then these straps can be helpful.

The lifting support provides the best support to your wrists during the gruelling weight training. You can improve your grip and hold on to the equipment longer, which will ensure the best outcome of your practice.

How to choose the best ones
You need to use lifting straps for the right exercises. The equipment is suitable for deadlifts, dumbbell or barbell rolls, and rack pulls, etc. if you wish to participate in any powerlifting competition, you must not use them as you need to have a naturally strong grip. Lifting straps are not allowed in most competitions.

While selecting the right lifting strap for you, you must keep in mind that various materials are used to make the lifting straps. Nylon or cotton straps are firmer than leather straps. Speed straps do not provide a firm grip but allow a more natural release of the barbell. There are hook straps that can affect your performance in lifting barbells.

Source flipkart.com

The best ones in the market

  • The Nivia Ws-583 has a foam padding and is priced at Rs. 192 on Flipkart.
  • The Kobo Power weightlifting training straps along with thumb support is made of neoprene and cotton. It is priced at Rs. 380 on Flipkart.

Resistance Bands

Source amazon.in

How is it helpful
The resistance bands exert force on your muscles when stretched and improve your flexibility. You can also enhance the mobility of your joints and can be used in lower and upper body training. You can also use them to do pull-ups.

You can use it when lifting a dumbbell, and your muscles will be strained. It will improve the quality of your training. As the bands come in multiple levels of resistance, the user can easily adjust the amount of resistance during the exercise. It is easy to alter the resistance levels also by making the resistance bands slack or using multiple bands.

The portable bands can add variety to your workouts. It allows the user to train with machines or free weights. It is easy to use, and you can safely exercise even if you are alone.

How to choose the best ones
It allows the user to pick and choose a variety of bands, as most of them are usually segregated according to the amount of tension. Before buying, do check whether the tension levels suits you. There are various types of resistance bands. If you are a newbie, start with the basic ones – the ones with the long elastic tubes with a handle. It is best to buy the bands with padded handles as you need not change them frequently.

Source amazon.in

The best ones in the market

  • Kobo Power Loop/Resistance Band can be purchased for Rs. 1,999 from Amazon.
  • FITSY® Black Resistance Band for Rs. 799 from Amazon.

Fitness Tracker

Source amazon.in

How is it helpful
Most of us do not care to exercise every day. At least we must do some amount of physical activity to keep us in shape. It is where fitness trackers come to your help. A fitness tracker will track the amount of physical activity you are doing every day. In case you forget, there is an alarm to remind you.

The user can also monitor their activity and the impact on their health very quickly. It can show when you were last active, the number of steps you have walked, and the calories you have burnt throughout the day. You can also set your daily goals. Start by setting achievable goals, and as you progress, increase the threshold. The trackers can also track the number of calories you take in and the time you have slept.

How to choose the best ones
If you need to buy a fitness tracker, you need first to understand the metrics that you wish to measure. Are those metrics available in the model you are choosing? Moving on, the trackers come in various designs. While the primary need is to inform you about your physical activity, still some of us may prefer the luxurious ones with a few more features.

Like all products, the user experience matters for a fitness tracker also. Does it track activity automatically? Is it waterproof? Is it easy to interact? You may wish to opt for a touchscreen. Also, research the battery backup and whether it supports GPS.

Source amazon.in

The best ones in the market

  • Fitbit Charge 3 is among the best ones available these days. It costs Rs. 10,299 and is available on Amazon.
  • Mi Band 4 from Xiaomi is the among the best budget trackers available. It costs Rs. 2,299, and is available on Amazon.

Lifting Belt

Source amazon.in

How is it helpful
A weight belt helps to reduce stress on the abdomen when lifting weights. The belt compresses the abdominal cavity and reduces stress and reduces lower back compression at the same time. The lifter is also aware of his position as he can squeeze the abdominal muscles too.

How to choose the best ones
How do you choose the one suitable for you? What is the belt size that is ideal for you? The better ones provide support to your spine while you are lifting weights. The best ones have an equal width throughout the circumference. While choosing between a 10 cm or a 13 cm belt, all you need to do is to find which one you are comfortable with while exercising.

The belts are made of velcro, leather, or suede. A leather belt is stiffer and durable, while suede is softer and will not shift around. A single prong belt is ideal for newbies, and the double prong provides more safety for your waist.

The best one in the market

  • The Nivia Supreme Gym Belt is an ideal one and comes in a free size. It costs Rs. 440 on Amazon.

Ankle braces

Source amazon.in

How is it helpful
Ankle support is a combination of plastic, metal, and fabric to give protection to the ankles. They are useful in providing relief from any injury. It also helps in preventing injuries as a study by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health had shown. An ankle brace is known to limit specific motion by the user. In this way, it can proactively prevent any ankle injury.

How to choose the best ones
There is a large assortment of ankle braces that are available in the market. But you must look for the quality of the components that go into making the ankle brace. The stability of the ankle brace is also essential. And so is the comfort that the user has when wearing it. The ankle braces will lose its benefit if the user feels awkward after wearing it. And, finally, the price. There are several cheap options available that offer excellent quality products. The ones from Flamingo, Vissco, and Tynor offer aesthetically brilliant and right quality products at great prices.

Source amazon.in

The best ones in the market

  • Vissco New Design Neoprene comes in five different sizes, from S to XXL. It’s priced at Rs. 430, available on Amazon.
  • Flamingo Stirrup Ankle Brace has a foam padding along with pre-modulated plastic shells. It costs Rs. 464 on Amazon.

Knee Brace

Source amazon.in

How is it helpful
There are various gym exercises that can damage your knees. Exercises like leg extension and lifting heavy weights can be taxing for the knee. Knee support protects the knee and can be of help when you do low impact exercises in the gym. A knee support can also help people with arthritis or any other knee disease.

Being made from metal, foam, and plastic, the knee braces correct the alignment to the knee joint by reducing the pressure to the joint. The load on the affected muscles are lessened and can also provide comfort by enhancing blood circulation.

How to choose the best ones
You first need to understand the reason why you need it. The hinged knee braces are ideal for sportspersons who are trying to stabilise after an injury. It provides support to the knee and helps to heal quickly. The sleeves allow to minimise chronic knee pain. The wraparounds are ideal for athletes with moderate knee pain or dislocation. A runner's knee pain will require bands to be worn at the knee.

The best ones in the market

  • The Fashnex knee brace is made from nylon and latex and costs Rs. 499 on Amazon.

Elbow Pad

Source amazon.in

How is it helpful
It provides a double fold help. It can protect the elbow from injury and soreness by cushioning it to prevent injury. Some of the elbow pads come with an added protective layer of foam. Built from breathable fabric, it prevents the elbows from sweating too much. Wearing an elbow pad keeps the muscles at rest. An elbow pad prevents any movement of the arm that is not required.

How to choose the best ones
To start with, choose the material from which it is produced. It could either be nylon or Neoprene, Nylon/ Spandex, and silicone. Each of the elements has its advantages. Neoprene is durable and has resistance to stretching.

The size of the elbow pad is essential. Some of the items can be adjusted while others have a fixed size.

Source amazon.in

The best ones in the market

  • Bodyprox Elbow Protection Pads will cost you Rs. 2,674 on Amazon.
  • Futuro Elbow Support comes with pressure pads along with window support. Available on Amazon for Rs. 2,122.

The Usefulness of Hitting the Gym Regularly!

The reasons for hitting the gym are manifold. Some of us wish to lose weight and prevent life-threatening diseases. While others want to have those six-pack abs, whatever the reason might be, having a strict exercise regimen helps to keep fit and healthy. If you're still not convinced, hopefully, these reasons will help.

  • Your Weight is Controlled: Having a strict exercise module helps to control your weight. You must also maintain a strict diet along with it. What happens is that you will burn calories when working out. The fuel is ideally the fat in your body that gets burnt out. If you have a wholesome diet, it will add on to your vigour.

  • Your Body is Benefitted, As Well As Your Mind: Exercising improves your energy levels and boosts the health conditions of people suffering from various diseases. It enhances the strength of your muscles and improves endurance. It also increases your mood and self-esteem. You can keep small targets for yourself, and achieving them will boost your self-confidence.

  • Combats Chronic Diseases: Doing exercises secretes chemicals that make you feel good. It is also known to pull people out of depression. Exercising improves the HDL cholesterol levels while reducing the level of the harmful triglycerides. It will, in turn, reduce your chances of having a heart disease. Doing exercises regularly also prevents other conditions, like stroke, arthritis, type-2 diabetes, etc.

  • Energy is Boosted: Research has shown that exercising has proven to improve the energy levels of the subjects. The positive effects of workouts and exercising are more evident in people from severe illnesses and chronic fatigue. When you exercise, the oxygen transfer levels to the tissues and muscles increase manifold. It also improves the state of the cardiovascular system. Once your heart and lungs work better, it leads to more energy to face the challenges in life.

Digital Marketer, Blogger
Sanjay Das
Sanjay is a marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience. He has a penchant for writing blogs and articles and has written over 350 blogs across diverse topics and industries. Sanjay takes a keen interest in SEO-based content writing for websites and social media. He also runs his own blog for digital marketing articles.

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Don't Hesitate Asking for Help if You're New to Gymming

Often we hear about people getting hurt in the gym. It is mostly due to not taking the necessary precautions before starting the workout routine. While we do not forget to warm up before beginning with the rigorous routine, we often forget to take protective measures. It is much better to take the help of a trainer than to take it upon yourself to achieve that ripped body that you crave for!