After the first of the year, I was really feeling pretty awful about myself fitness-wise. The fall and winter had been crazy stressful, tons of new clients, new adjunct professor gig, and Cora starting Kindergarten all meant I was eating like crap and never making it to the gym. When I finally got on the other side of New Year’s Eve, I decided like the rest of the world that I needed a reset.
Step one was a juice cleanse, which insanely enough kicked my coffee habit. Goodbye caffeine addiction, and goodbye creamer! Step two was deciding that going to the gym was necessary for my mental well-being. Did it mean having to carve out the time? Yes. Did I feel guilty taking those hours away from my clients and kids at first? Absolutely. But the more I stuck with it, the more I was able to find I could juggle that part of my life in addition to the rest of it. It just become something I do.
If you follow me on social media, you know I go to InBalance here in San Antonio at least 4-5 times a week. I rarely go on the weekends, and I’m almost always there for their classes somewhere in the 8am to 10am range. I LOVE that I can mix it up, and in any given week I’ll do yoga, pilates, dance and barre just to keep me mentally and physically on my toes.
Becoming a smidge of a gym rat (though I still don’t have bulging biceps lol) has meant that I have also established a gym bag for myself. I live for dedicated tote bags to keep things organized in my life. We have school bags, pool bags, play date bags, each with everything I need to just grab and go at a moment’s notice. My gym bag has become the same way, and it stays in the back of my car with my yoga mat at all times. Since InBalance Leon Springs is just down the street from my house (side note: They just opened a Stone Oak location as well, and Alamo Ranch is coming soon! Join us and be an #inbalancebabe with me!), that means I can literally be working on my computer up until the last minute, dash into the car, and know that I am all set.
So what’s in this precious bag I speak of? A whole bunch! First, I always have a water tumbler with me. This one says, “Bless Your Heart” and it’s from HEB. Because of course. Next, I pack a cooling towel I picked up from Amazon and these Tone-y weighted wrist bands. I’ll add them to my workout if I want a little extra resistance, and I always feel bad using InBalance’s public supply and getting them all sweaty. These are a silicone type material so they don’t get smelly or scratchy. I also scored this adorable makeup bag from Beall’s right around Fiesta, and it came with this handy contouring kit. If I’m headed to run a couple errands after a workout, I’ll use that to touch up my face just a bit so I am relatively presentable. And of course deodorant – enough said!
Finally, a recent addition to my gym bag has been these new Caress Botanicals Body Sprays. They’re handy to use, fit easily into my bag, and the scents are clean and fresh. Just right if I just want to spruce up a bit until I can get to a shower! Caress has also compiled a super cool Pandora playlist (hello Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato!) that pairs perfectly with each spray’s subtle notes of Pink Peony, Sweet Violet, or Mediterranean Lotus. Gotta love smelling good and jamming out for summer workouts or as I’m getting ready for a night out. It’s really the finishing touch to my fitness routine. Find all three scents at HEB and give them a try!
XO,
A
P.S. This post was sponsored by Mirum. Don’t worry though, all opinions are my own!
