This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of AXE.
Josh has been active in sports since before he started preschool. He played flag football and t-ball and generally ran around as much as he could. (He was a VERY active toddler!) As he’s gotten older, his preference for which sports to participate in has changed, but his love of moving certainly hasn’t. When he was a sweaty toddler, it was cute. Now that he’s a sweaty teen, well, cute doesn’t really describe it anymore.
Luckily, he is very conscientious about his personal hygiene and only needs a little guidance on how to stay smelling fresh during and after those sports practices and games.
Because he has strong feelings on the subject, Josh helped me put together this list of gym bag essentials to help keep staying fresh during sports practices and games.
Ear buds.
Like most people, Josh loves some good tunes to keep him motivated and moving. Ear buds ensure that he won’t be distracted by anyone else’s conversations or bother them with his music.
A plastic bag.
Whether it’s stinky gym shoes or a damp shirt, a plastic bag keeps your mess from spreading to everything else in your gym bag.
A fitness tracker.
Seeing those steps and calories burned add up can be a great motivator to keep going when your muscles are begging you to quit.
Josh’s favorite measures his steps, heart rate, calories burned and gives him notifications from his phone.
Reusable water bottle.
Throwaway water bottles are so last century and many gyms have filling stations where you can get great tasting filtered water for free – if you have a bottle!
A lock.
You want to keep your stuff safe, right? ‘Nuff said.
Because no teen wants to be stinky, good hygiene is a must. Now, we are NOT advocating skipping the shower and covering up the funk with a cloud of spray! What we are talking about is taking the time to shower and then adding just a touch of fragrance to enhance the experience. 64% of young guys think body spray and dry spray are the same thing. In fact, 1 in 2 guys think that they should apply body spray to their underarms.* Since Josh is a bit young for the whole cologne scene, I like that AXE YOU Body Spray gives him the added confidence boost of staying fresh all-day long with a light scent without diving into adulthood head first!
*Ipsos Body Spray Drivers and Barriers, 2017 or Ipsos, 2017
If your teen needs some guidance on how to property apply body spray, let them know that it should be applied in the shape of a 7 and only as long as it takes to say the word “AXE”. Or just point them to this video.
Since antiperspirant is a must, (Hear that boys? We are talking NON-negotiable!!) AXE Signature Gold Dry Spray and AXE Signature Night Dry Spray are the perfect gym bag companions. They go on dry on the underarms, so your active teen can get right back to, well, whatever they are always rushing off to do! And it keeps them dry for 48 hours so if they do forget a day, it’s not so bad. But maybe don’t tell them that…
An extra shirt.
Seriously, showering and using great smelling products aren’t going to help if you are putting the same funky smelling shirt back on afterward. Josh always has a fresh, clean shirt in your bag so he will be ready for anything when he leaves the gym!
Is there anything you think Josh should be including in his gym bag? We’d love to hear your suggestions!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of AXE.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
An extra shirt is always a great idea for kids in school. There’s no telling what can happen in a day, especially when large groups of children are together.
Vera Sweeney says
A lock and deodorant are two ABSOLUTE musts! Teens are the stinkiest beings on the planet. The. Stinkiest.
Liz Mays says
You’re definitely right about these. The Axe products are going to be so handy! A reliable water bottle can be a life-saver too.
Pam says
Great list for teens who are working out or have PE. A reusable water bottle is definitely a must have.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
Aside from perhaps a towel or fresh undergarments you have the most important stuff covered. When my oldest was younger I recall when he had friends over, the cloud of spray would be overwhelming!
brianne says
This is a great list! My son just started wearing deodorant and he’s already forgetting to put it on!
Theresa says
These are all definitely must haves! My nephew just hit puberty and he sure could use some Axe products tucked into that gym bag of his!
Carol Cassara says
Hygiene products shouldn’t be forgotten, that’s for sure. Especially with the boys. I think these are all essentials. We should always remind them to stay hydrated, that water bottle is the most important must have there!
AnnMarie John says
My 2 boys are in their teens and it’s really important for me to teach them about proper hygiene especially since they’re playing sports. These are what you can see in their gym bag as well!
Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says
It’s really important to include water and snacks! I completely agree with all the items that you have here! It’s good to teach them to use deodorants and body sprays as well.
Melissa Chapman says
You really nailed it with the essentials for a teen/tween boy who plays sports like my son. I have not used those deodorant products but will look into it.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This would be helpful for teens! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Angela Milnes says
I have forgotten deodorant a couple of times in my gym bag. It was a disaster! ha!
Amy D says
I recently got a new watch fitness tracker. It’s so motivating! My kids are still young but my oldest just started wearing deodorant! When did they get so big!
Our Family World says
My two sons always have personal hygiene products in their gym bag. They also take with them an extra shirt . I also remind them to take their own water bottle. Staying hydrated is a must when you do sports.
Rach Ferrucci says
Great post- Love that you added Axe in there! Teens stink and yes they need to keep it with them and USE it!
SilverTeeny says
I completely agree, every teen must have these items in their Gym Bag.
Tom says
How about some mouthwash. If the body is funky the breath might be too!
Maureen Fitzgerald says
Oooh – good point Tom!