Let’s be clear, you don’t need anything to get fit or start training, my fitness must haves will just help you along the way.When I started my fitness journey I spent so much money on unnecessary items and supplements (but we will come to that in another post). I learnt pretty quickly that some stuff just really isn’t needed and narrowed it down to my basics.

FOAM ROLLER

A foam roller is handy to have laying about the house for you to do some SMR work at home, try not to do SMR on cold muscles though, my favourite time is after a hot epsom bath when my muscles are more pliable. A foam roller is also a good tool to use in your warm up.

FLAT SHOES

When lifting weights, you want good contact with the floor, cushioned shoes stop that good contact. Being flat footed provides the stability needed to develop your strength whilst minimising your risk of injury. The Nike Metcon are a great example of sturdy, flat shoes.  

RESISTANCE BANDS

Resistance bands can aid your training by helping you load the muscles in a different way,  they are handy if you workout at home and they can  help you stretch. They can also assist you for example using them in pull ups. You can get longer resistance bands as well as the little hip circles. Adding a hip circle to a hip thrust will work the abductors as well as the glutes.  

BARBELL PAD

When hip thrusting or glute bridging, the weight pushing down on the pubic bone tends to be pretty painful and can cause bruising. A barbell pad helps protect your lady bits by providing a nice cushion. Something I have found is that the sponge type pads shown > are much better than the leather look padded ones. Not to be used during barbell squats! 

EPSOM SALT

Magnesium sulfate is what is in Epsom salt, its a mineral which helps us to relax. While there is no research proving the rumour that epsom salts help relieve muscle soreness and promote recovery, I find that adding 500g-1kg to a hot bath really helps with my DOMS. I also sleep better after I’ve taken a salt bath. 

SHAKER BOTTLE

When I’m in a rush, I need to replenish after a workout and move on fast. I don’t always have the time to be blending something together. So a good protein shaker bottle is perfect for doing that. I worked with blender bottle to bring you the cutest colours on the market. Shop yours here.