I’m feeling overwhelmed trying to fit the gym into my 9-5 + commuting life. Tips?

[emmafontaine]

I have recently started a full time job, which is my first full time job since moving to NYC and I’m having trouble balancing commuting, working, and the gym. Mostly because I feel like there’s SO MUCH I have to carry and I don’t want to haul around a billion things all day.
I want to be a morning gym goer. Sometimes my work starts at 9, sometimes 10, so it’s not too bad to get an early gym start and I’ll try to work it around my 10am start days the most probably.
But between my lunch for work, my deodorant/mini hairbrush/toiletries, my change of clothes, my change of shoes, my lock, a water bottle, etc., I feel like I’m hauling around so much stuff - on top of having to worry about being smelly/sweaty/etc. It’s making me anxious and I don’t know how to fit it all in and carry it all around with me.
I think I will have to do my skincare and put some light makeup on at home before I leave in the morning, because I honestly can’t see myself schlepping around a makeup bag on top of everything else - even a small one. I mostly powerlift and tend to not get crazy sweaty so I don’t think this will be a huge issue.

Neither my gym nor work has any place to leave stuff overnight, so that’s not helpful.
I would appreciate any tips any of you non-car commuting ladies have!

 

[moparthunder]

@emmafontaine I go to the gym before work, spend half an hour on a bus, and work a 9-5. I haul around my gym stuff + my lunch + a laptop! Here are some things that have worked for me:
- I keep work shoes already at work and wear my sneakers out. This helps unless it's winter/raining.
- I put everything into one big gym bag - I use side pockets for a small selection of makeup items/toiletries. I carry a lunchbag/just my water bottle separate.
- Alternatively: sometimes I'll bring two bags - one small-ish for gym things and then a backpack with my work things + makeup
- My work has a fridge, so it can also help to just meal prep and have food for the week (or at least days where I'm coming from the gym) already there.

 

[barnicus]

@emmafontaine one woman at my gym uses what seems to be a mini suitcase as her gym bag (like the kind a business traveler who’s only flying out for the day would use). That should fit most of your stuff and be easy to haul around l

 

[alleylehmann]

@emmafontaine Oh I feel your pain. I bought this monster backpack and haul it on the train on my gym days. It fits my lunchbox, my change of clothes, a pair of shoes, my toiletries, water bottle, and usually I can stuff in an extra something whenever I need. It's not the most beautiful but it gets the job done!

That said, if you do end up schlepping a big pack around on the subway, PLEASE take it off when you're on a crowded train. I always try to, but it's still a near weekly experience where I get suffocated by someone's backpack and it awakens a rage in me I cannot describe. /petpeeve

 

[emmafontaine]

@alleylehmann Thanks for the link! and oh definitely haha! In fact, even today I was being hit in the face by someone's backpack.

 

[dofaith]

@emmafontaine I lived in NYC for 2 years up until recently and proudly had my gym bag with me everywhere. Subway to the gym in the morning, then subway to work, then subway home. Showered at the gym. Yup carried everything with me - my gym bag had breakfast+lunch, protein shaker bottle, change of clothes, mini hair dryer, small makeup bag (I wear moisturizer with SPF, eyeliner, and eyeshadow, that's it), quick-dry towel to save space (had to pay for a towel from gym otherwise), change of shoes, and flip flops for gym shower. Had no shame schlepping my gym bag + backpack for work on the subway >3 times a day. It honestly wasn't that big of a bag. I did this 4-5 days per working week.

If the subway was crowded, I hugged my gym bag to my chest or let it rest on top of my feet. It's NYC, people always have random crap they're carrying around. So long as you try to be considerate with space I think it's totally fine. I never felt guilty because there were always finance and lawyer bros with massive backpacks who refused to take them off and hold them at their feet when it was crowded. Ugh I hated those guys!

I had gym goals and carrying a second, slightly larger bag wasn't going to stop me from meeting them. Plenty of women have a 2nd bag on the subway so it never felt awkward for me. Good luck!