If your resolution was to get find this year, here’s our edit of the items you need in your gym bag.

Do you ever look at your bookcase and feel guilty? So many lovely books. But so many of them distinctly unread. We know how you feel. It’s such a common feeling, in fact, that the Japanese have a word for it: tsundoku.

Tsundoku is a concept that springs to mind when we think of investing in some new gym kit. Because thinking about buying a fresh pair of running shorts in order to, you know, run more, is half the battle isn’t it? And, well, buying them – that alone is a big leap. Well done! Actually getting into them and going outside or hitting the gym? That’s a whole different kettle of fish. A step too far, perhaps. We’re sweating just thinking about it. A lie-down is in order.

We’re confident we can break this train of thought with the new active items that are available on MR PORTER in 2018. We hope our select edit is so inspiring that the items will actually make their way out of their packaging and into your gym bag. There’s only one way to find out. Scroll and shop, below.

Strong foundations are essential when you’re building something. So, as we construct our new gym kit, let us begin in the same way. With a solid base. And what better place to start than a pair of Nike training shoes? Robust yet flexible, these sneakers have the annoying ability of being suitable for both running and weight training, so there is no excuse to miss out on either at the gym. They look pretty stylish, too. So treat them with respect with these Nike Dri-FIT no-show socks, which should keep things feeling and smelling fresh(ish).

Much like a suit might make you feel more authoritative and productive at work, slipping on a performance T-shirt in the gym (as opposed to that grey tattered one you’re currently using) ought to make you want to work out harder (willpower required). Let’s call it a psychological boost. So, go for a brand used by professional athletes and sportsmen, such as Under Armour, whose seamless blue mélange T-shirt looks as good as it feels. Complement it with some similarly sporty and flexible shorts from innovative sportswear brand APL Athletic Propulsion Labs. Job done.

In the spirit of keeping the office/gym analogy going (before it becomes entirely tortuous), protein powder and efficacious vitamins are the equivalent of your daily deskside caffeine fix. It’s the support you need to help you over the line to achieve your goals (a word the new active you will be using a lot in 2018). Ditch the bodybuilder shakes that are gnawing away at your digestive system and plump for something a little cleaner, such as this natural-ingredient protein powder from Neat Nutrition. If you feel like you need a little more help after your workout, try popping an omega-3 capsule. It may sound like a step too far, but they’re proven to both sharpen the mind and aid with muscle repair.

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