"What's Inside Sarah Hyland's Gym Bag?"

Beware: If you encounter Sarah Hyland at the gym, she may end up lifting more weights than you.

“I enjoy being the woman in the gym who begins lifting weights and all the men are like, ‘how is that petite person managing to do the leg press right now?’” The Modern Family star has admitted. “Weight training is my preferred way to maintain my mental health and self-confidence, just by carrying heavy, heavy weights.”

The actress has adopted a strength-focused mindset as a way of life. “For me, I am not interested in losing weight, I just desire to become a resilient individual,” elaborates Hyland. “I wish for my muscles to be as durable as my spirit.”

Expect to find Hyland on tennis courts this summer...or at least, in her tennis outfit. “My fitness objective is to start playing tennis to receive cardio and I have had the number of a coach on my phone for months now,” she states. “I have enough tennis outfits because I always tell myself, ‘If I purchase the outfits, I’m going to perform the workout.’” (Frankly, we’ve all been there.)

Hyland needs her gym bag to contain on-the-go, ultra-convenient products since her workout routine is a crucial part of her mental health and creative process. She needs to feel ready to go from the gym to the set or to meet with her team at Sourse, where she serves as a co-founder and creative director (she even helped launch Beauty Bites and Glow Bites). Here's what the star carries in her gym bag.   

“Spanx actually manufactures fabulous workout leggings,” Hyland reveals. “They're one of my preferred brands to sport for workouts.” Not a fan of bright colours, Hyland keeps her workout wardrobe simple - all black - and pairs her Spanx leggings with a matching Alo sports bra (such as the Wellness Bra). “I'm the most sweaty individual,” she unabashedly confesses. “I have 500 towels with me at all times because I'm sliding everywhere. I tend to strip down to whatever sports bra I'm wearing.” She particularly likes Alo tops for their excellent support.

Hyland's pre-workout skincare routine is minimal. “I don’t wear makeup because what's the point? You'll end up being the person with a dirty towel in the Pilates class,” she points out. “My go-to is Joanna Vargas' Daily Serum,” she combines it with Sourse Glow Bites to hydrate her skin inside and out. The Daily Serum is simply a green juice for your skin, including a bevvy of beneficial components (think: green tea, avocado, broccoli, kale, and spinach, plus hyaluronic acid) to help enhance dullness and dehydration.

After applying the Daily Serum, Hyland receives a quick energy boost from Celsius Sparkling Fuji Apple Pear, an energy drink with 200mg of caffeine without sugar or sodium. “It's one of the few energy drinks that tastes excellent,” she exclaims. “It's simply the best.” 

Hyland is a firm believer in keeping Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes, a drugstore staple, in her gym bag. “Those remove makeup really, really well.” After a workout, she wipes her face for a quick cleaning before moving on to the next thing. And the best part? At present, Neutrogena is transitioning its famous facial wipes to be compostable and constructed of 100% plant-based cloth, allowing them to decompose in 35 days. Round of applause for the team.

“Last year I was working on a project that was Monday through Friday,” Hyland recalls. “I used to wake up at 5 am, come home at 7 pm, and train for an hour before eating dinner and going to bed.” What kept her going during these 13-hour grinds? “When I experienced that slump, I used to eat Energy Bites from Sourse.” Not only are they delicious (#chocolate), but they also provide natural energy through matcha and natural L-theanine (an amino acid) without causing jitters. A pro tip; Check the dosage on these. Two bites constitute a serving size, and trust us, the vegan, fair-trade chocolates are challenging to put down. 

Hyland swears by having Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes and Goodwipes feminine hygiene wipes on hand in her gym bag. “If you're going out to dinner after the gym, these wipes serve as an excellent refresher after you change out of your gym clothes,” she explains. “They have pH-balancing properties, so they don't remove anything that should be there.” The wipes also contain components like vitamin E and aloe designed for delicate skin down there.  

“Dry shampoos are always my go-to- I hate washing my hair,” Hyland confesses. (#relatable) “Living Proof has a new 'advanced' dry shampoo that's highly effective and doesn't appear to leave as much white residue as other dry shampoos.” The starch and mineral dry blend serve two purposes: absorbing excess sweat and oil and being easy to massage into your hair without the typical white powder residue, ideal for post-workout sweaty hair.

“For girls with curly hair, the IN COMMON Magic Myst is amazing for refreshing hair and reviving my curls,” gushes Hyland. “It’s called Magic Myst for a reason. No matter where I go, gym or vacation, I always have at least the mini size with me.” This elixir, ICYDK, is a natural leave-in conditioner and heat protectant that protects your hair from UVA/UVB rays while detangling, smoothing frizz, repairing damage, and boosting shine. Talk about a multitasker.

As we wrap up our interview, Hyland urgently interrupts to make sure we include this all-time, must-have gym bag item: the Theragun Mini. “It is so, so great,” she raves. “I have sore muscles all the time that come back to haunt me, and this thing really gets them.” The Mini is a small, triangular version of the classic Theragun, and it’s ergonomically designed to easily fit in the palm of your hand. For someone like Hyland, who does a ton of strength training, it helps relieve muscle soreness and release tension so you can go all-out on your lifts.