GEAR UP

Just getting started? Here’s what you really need.

SWEAT TOWEL

While most gyms provide a spray bottle and paper towels for exercisers to clean equipment after use, you should have a towel just in case. (Plus, it’s great to have on hand when you work up a sweat!)

SPORTS BRA

“It sounds funny, but the worst mistake beginners make is wearing a normal bra at the gym,” says Megan Murtagh, a certified personal trainer in Ottawa. “Sports bras absorb sweat, and you’ll be much more comfortable moving around in one.”

QUALITY SHOES

If you’re getting serious, you might want to consider purchasing cross-trainers, which have “more lateral support and wider, thinner soles than running shoes,” says Murtagh. “They will also help protect the ankle from sprains.” If you opt for lifting-specific shoes, they should “have great stability and keep you closer to the ground for a better grip,” says Sandra Jean Mosaad, a certified personal trainer in Vaughan, Ont.