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The contents of your gym bag determine the quality of your workout – and maybe the rest of your day post-workout. Check out our top 5 must-have items for your workout bag:

Water

Water is an obvious part of any workout routine, yet we often forget it. Most gyms sell bottled water, but at a pretty big mark-up. If you want to save money and the earth, pack a bottle and fill it up at a water fountain at the gym. Rather than interrupting your workout to head over to the water fountain, you can stay hydrated while on the exercise equipment.

Try not to reuse commercial plastic water bottles – these bottles you pick up at the convenience or grocery store are meant to be one-use only containers. They can’t be effectively cleaned or sterilized, so reusing them multiple times after exposure to saliva and sweat is a recipe for bacteria. Aren’t you at the gym because you want to be healthy?!?

Toiletries

You’ve probably already got your shampoo and soap (or better yet, an all-in-one shampoo and body wash) packed in your trusty workout bag, but, whether you’re a guy or a girl, don’t forget the face wash. You may be resistant to washing your face more than twice a day, but you can’t skip this important post-workout step. Sweat and humidity increase oil production, which can exacerbate skin problems if you’re already prone to breakouts. Look for skincare coupons so you can pack your gym bag without worrying about spending money on extra products. Get facial cleansing wipes or travel-size products from makers like Proactiv or Burt’s Bees.

Ear Buds and Headphones

Music isn’t a nice-to-have when you’re working out – for some of us, it determines whether we’ll last 10 minutes or 40 minutes on the treadmill. Take some time before your next exercise session to make a playlist with inspirational or high-energy songs (Eye of the Tiger, anyone?). You’ll be surprised how invigorating the right song choices can be, and you’ll see the impact on your workout immediately. For a change of pace during your cool-down time or non-aerobic exercise, consider downloading audio books. If you’re the type of person who’s always short on time, listening to books while working out helps you cross two items off your to-do list at once – you’ll be in better shape and better read all at once!

Extra Towels

Many gyms rent towels or offer complimentary ones, but some of us just can’t handle used towels. It’s easier to just pack a few and close them up in plastic bags after they’ve been used and need a wash. Call us cynical, but we’d rather not trust that the towels have been through the extra-super-hot sanitizing cycle, thanks.

Change of Clothes

A bit obvious, right? Everyone knows a change of clothes is an obvious element of any gym bag, but Here’s a protip for packing your gym bag – always pack two outfits in your bag. We know you hate to have an overstuffed bag, but it’s worth the extra weight. Have you ever spent the rest of the day in a less-than-flattering outfit simply because it was what you had packed in your gym bag?

A friend recently had us in stitches at a happy hour relating this story: She finished her workout at a well-known gym in New York City, showered, and threw on the change of clothes in her gym bag as she was in a hurry to get to an event across town. She had noticed a little powder or dust on her dark shirt and skirt, but thought nothing of it as she tried to dust it off. Little did she realize the hip event she was at featured blacklights, which picked up on what she later determined was crumbled deodorant stick – her entire back was polka-dotted under the lights, which everyone (save her) found hilarious. Needless to say, it’s easy to accidentally pack a shirt with a tear, two left shoes, or some other wardrobe malfunction you may not notice until it’s too late. By having a spare set of clothes, you’ll guarantee you have another option when you realize you’ve forgotten to pack a pair of pants.