Accessories You Must Have When Training Indoors
Moving your training indoors for the winter is the best way to avoid health issues like frostbite, cold-induced asthma, and falls on icy terrain. Training indoors is obviously somewhat different in terms of environment, but it's also different in terms of what you need to bring with you. If you're about to join an indoor training facility for the first time, add a few extra accessories and double-check what you bring for a better experience.
Spare Smaller Towels
Having a couple of hand towels stuffed in a sports bag is necessary for any athlete who wants to be able to wipe away sweat. For indoor training, increase the number of towels you stash away in your bag. Not only do you need them to wipe your face, but you may need them so you can wipe off equipment that you've used. Just because you're in a training facility and not a public gym does not mean you can leave behind sweat marks and droplets on the equipment. Be it a weight bench or a baseball bat, have two small towels at the ready, one for yourself and one for the equipment, and then a few more in case the first two become soaked.
Non-Marking Shoes
The shoes you wear for your sports outdoors need to be right for the sport -- but indoors, they also need to be right for the floor. If you decide to warm up by doing a few laps around a basketball court in the facility, for example, you need shoes with non-marking soles so that the court's surface isn't damaged when you're done with your laps. Even if the facility has a spot with flooring that is meant to handle the shoes you'd normally wear outside, always carry shoes with non-marking soles with you in case you find yourself warming up in another part of the facility.
An Extra Lock
Many facilities offer locks for sale so you can keep the items in your locker secure; those that don't are typically good about warning you that you'll need your own lock. But it helps to keep a second lock in a pocket in your bag so that, if your main lock ends up busted, you can still store items in your locker without worrying about security. This, obviously, varies from place to place; some have open lockers that don't use locks, while others would simply give you another lock. If you train in a place where you can rent a locker long-term and need to bring your own lock, though, keep a spare with you.
Soon the weather will become warm again, and you won't have to worry about non-marking shoes or neat weight benches -- but for the time being, a little extra weight in your sports bag means better adherence to facility rules. Contact a winter fitness coach for more help.
Share
