Check your gym clothes to see if they are right for you. If you start your workout and your shorts are riding up, your boobs aren’t well supported or if your shirt gets really heavy from sweat then you probably have chosen your gear incorrectly.
Different workouts call for different clothes so think carefully before you put your outfit together. If your clothes are making you uncomfortable or self conscious then you are more likely to quit your program.
Wear gym clothes that are comfortable, but if you are running or biking, avoid wide-leg or loose pants that could get tangled up in the pedals or your feet. For activities such as yoga or Pilates, stretchy, fitted fabrics that wick away sweat are a good choice.
Tips for Choosing your Gear
Activity Appropriate
Some forms of exercise will be more enjoyable if you use activity appropriate clothing.
For example, cycling shorts are padded and can make long bike rides and an indoor cycling class much more comfortable. These items aren’t necessarily the best choice of clothing for running or group exercise classes where you need unpadded bike shorts or gym shorts. Running shorts are equally unsuitable for cycling as they have no padding and are prone to bunching and chafing.
Wearing appropriate undergarments is important to ensure you aren’t distracted with wide leg shorts (guys) and sports bras that do not fit and support sufficiently (ladies).
Stick with clothing that is designed specifically for the activity you want to do and you will be much more comfortable.
Supportive Sports Bra
It’s recommended women wear a supportive bra while exercising, not only for comfort and support, but because it reduces any chance of injury.
When you are shopping for a sports bra, remember these rules — it should fit slightly tighter than a regular bra, but not so tight that you can’t breathe comfortably. Make sure there is no chafing around the armholes, shoulder straps or seams; if it has hooks or snaps, make sure those don’t chafe, either. The straps shouldn’t dig into your shoulders and the cup fabric should be smooth.
To ensure you buy the right size, raise your hands over your head. If the elastic band rides up your rib cage, you need a smaller band or the straps need to be adjusted.
Avoid Cotton Clothes use Wicking Materials
Wicking is the ability of a material to divert sweat away from your skin and through the material for easy evaporation. This helps to keep your skin dry and comfortable.
Choose clothes – shorts, underwear, inners and T-shirts – made of dry-fit or moisture wicking material that will keep you dry instead.
Cotton and other natural fibers are not naturally good wickers. Cotton clothing absorbs moisture, be it sweat or rain, like a sponge. Once wet, cotton becomes heavy and cold, loses its shape and clings to your body. This means the cold, wet fabric is next to your body, cooling it down and chafing the skin. When the muscles cool down, they can also start to cramp.
Most gym gear is now either a cotton blend, synthetic, environmentally friendly and antimicrobial. These fabrics are really nice on you skin and reduce or eliminate chafing and sweat rashes.
These fabrics are a good choice if you run, cycle, hike, or do any type of workout where you are going to sweat excessively.
Cost of Gym Gear
Gym gear can be really expensive. This is usually the big brands like nike, adidas, lulu lemon, lorna jane and under armour (to name a few). If you compare the labels on the items you will usually find that it is the quality of the material used. Some of the fabric is beautiful to wear it keeps you warm or cool moves with your body and wicks the moisture from your skin.
If you are on a budget you might find that the department stores have reasonable quality gym gear and seem to be improving all the time. I have items from the department stores and they wear well and if your workout is short you can get away with wearing these items without being over heated or cold.
It is a good idea though to purchase a good quality sports bra because this is where you need your support and if you care for the fabric it will last.
Read the care labels and wash after your workout then the sweat won’t breakdown the fabric and they will last longer.
Also mix and match your pieces to increase the number of outfits you have.
Footwear
To stay comfortable while running outdoors or on the treadmill, it’s important to buy shoes are the correct fit for your foot. There are several sports stores that will conduct an assessment on your foot and also assess your gait and recommend shoes that will give you the most support and comfort.
There are different shoes for running and also gym, if you are running long distance you may need separate running shoes because these are lighter and have more technology in the sole. Gym shoes have more support around your foot and can be a slightly heavier shoe.
Choose running shoes that are a snug fit but not tight; remember your feet can swell and lengthen over a run, so make sure there’s a thumb’s width of space between your longest toe (which isn’t always the big toe) and the end of a shoe.
Compression Wear
Sports compression is designed to provide external compression to the body, often increasing in pressure towards the extremity of the limb – this is known as graduated compression. Compression technology can be applied to a range of garments such as socks, shorts, tights, arm sleeves, tops and more. The level of compression power in a garment is dependent on factors such as fabric structure, material and size, as well as the individual’s shape and size.
Some workout clothing is specially designed to give you support during your workouts, for example long sox are good for extra support for running.
There is no evidence to suggest one age group would benefit from compression more than another. Given that research shows compression can improve joint awareness and reduce muscle oscillation, it’s possible that older people can benefit from wearing compression in their daily lives but there’s no current research to explicitly suggest this is the case.
Wearing the correct clothing for your workout is important, however don’t allow it to be a barrier for exercise. There was a time when all that was available were cotton t shirts and shorts, plus running shoes without all the technology there is today. The golden rule is whatever works for you. You may start with buying the sports shoes and then gradually increase your sports clothing as your interest in exercise and your budget will accommodate.
