How I Get Ready in 15 Minutes Post-Workout

Confession: I'm not really a morning person. I've never been one of those people who can just hop out of bed and energetically get on with the day; I need a shower, a good workout, and a strong cup of coffee to get me to an even remotely functional level of consciousness.

The big challenge with this routine, of course, is budgeting enough time to do all that and get ready for work. As someone who never would have considered it possible to get all that done in the morning, I'm now proud to share: I've figured out a consistent system to get ready after my morning workout in just 15 minutes.

Keep scrolling to learn my tricks to quickly get ready for work after working out!

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Whether you shower at the gym or wait until you return home before work, it's imperative that you get the job done fast. I do this by focusing my cleansing routine on what I'll refer to as the crucial few: those parts of your body that you would be quite remiss to skip washing, especially post-workout. Think hair, feet, armpits, and the like. I've minimized my shower time to less than five minutes by adopting this tactic, and letting the suds do most of the work for me.

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Not every woman will agree with me on this point, but I'm not a huge devotee to spending a lot of time fussing over my hair in the mornings. I have stick-straight hair, so I'm lucky in that regard; much of the time, I can throw up my hair in a wet bun and forget about it. This step is fairly crucial to getting ready in such a short amount of time. If you need further guidance in this area, reference our sister site Byrdie's amazing guide to three-minute hairstyles

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To avoid running around your bedroom like a crazy person, be sure you pick out your clothes before you ever head to the gym. Whether you choose to do this the night before, or right before you head to your workout, knowing what you're going to wear before you get to your cardio will be a tremendous time-saver. 

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Come up with the perfect three-minute makeup routine for yourself; pick a few cosmetics you consider to be the ones you won't leave the house without wearing. For me, it's a smidge of foundation, powder and bronzer, eye shadow, and liner. Once you're on your commute, feel free to apply more: a quick brush of lipstick and mascara will finish the job right.

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You're clean, dressed, and have enough of a beauty face on to get by without crazy looks from bystanders. Congrats girl, you are officially a superwoman.

Keep scrolling to shop some of our favorite athleisure pieces now!

Keep scrolling to shop some of our favorite athleisure pieces now!

What's your secret for getting ready fast? Tell us in the comments below!

Meghan Blalock
Managing Editor

Hailing from the heart of the South and cutting her teeth on the mean streets of New York, Meghan has six years of experience covering fashion, style, celebrities, culture, and human behavior. A longtime devotee of rap music, tacos, and generally perfect weather, she is excited to put down roots in Los Angeles. Her top three style staples are a good pair of cutoff shorts, virtually any kind of colorful digi-print, and a solid set of shades.