What to Consider When Picking Clothes for Your Workout

Have you ever made the mistake of wearing sweatpants while cycling? Or perhaps you wore a top that you though was fitted enough for aerial yoga, but then you were proven otherwise the moment you were upside down? We’ve all been there, at some point in our lives. Even fitness fanatics have made an error in judgment a time or two, especially when trying out a new sport for the first time. I’ve had friends that walked into a hot yoga class in big cotton t-shirts and shorts, and boy did they regret that. Sometimes the mistake we make is matching our workout ensemble the same way we would with our regular outfits. Sure, the hot pink tank might go well with the stripe on your comfy cotton pants, but the pants might feel like they’re weighing you down when you’re at your first barre class, pumping your legs in the air for what seems like the longest minute of your life. Making it to the gym is hard enough. You don’t want anything, especially your clothes, to prevent you from having a good workout. So the next time your sifting through your clothes to figure out what you should wear when you’re going to exercise, think about the following:

Consider the type of workout you have planned

What you wear to CrossFit is something completely different from Pilates, and what you wear for a run is not the same as what you wear for spinning. These Haimie cycling shorts are pretty versatile in that they can be used for spinning, running, and sports like volleyball, but tiny split shorts might be uncomfortable in the gym when you’re doing lunges and have to readjust every time your shorts ride up your butt.

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While leggings like these High waist yoga leggings are the safe choice for yoga, it also depends on the kind of positions that will be covered in your practice. For example, tree pose requires you to stick your foot on the crook of your thigh, which is difficult to accomplish when your foot keeps slipping on your leggings. If you’re attending a yoga class, the flow is beyond your control. However, if you’re following a video or using an app at home, you can quickly browse through the positions to see if shorts or leggings work best.

Make sure you have the right shoes

The beauty of Pilates and yoga, as well as some other at-home workouts, is that shoes are not required. Some barre studios only need socks for sanitary purposes, though if you’re going to work out in socks, wear ones with grips at the soles so that you’re not slipping all over the place. Regular running shoes are safe for most workouts, but if you’re training for sports, stick with the proper footwear; tennis shoes for tennis, cleats for sports on the grass, etc.

Think about the fabrics you’re comfortable in

Do you tend to sweat a lot in your workouts? Or maybe you get hot pretty easily? If you’re the type that sweats a lot, stretchy fabrics are better for you, as they dry faster. Cotton clothes, on the other hand, soak up the sweat and take forever to dry, leaving you with that disgusting, soaking wet feeling all the way up until your shower after. If you’re a person with a higher body temperature, loose tees, muscle tanks and loose shorts like these Korean style elasticated casual shorts may be the comfier choice for you. Though if you are a person that both sweats very easily AND sweats a lot, the best workout outfit for you would be a sports bra top or a muscle tee and sports bra (depending on the type of workout) and these Breathable mesh leggings.

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Always wear a sports bra

Although this might not seem as important for ladies with a smaller bust, sports bras make any kind of movement much easier to manage. Having the right support, even if your chest is on the smaller side, is extremely important, so if you decide not to wear one, at least wear a top with built-in bra support. Like with a regular bra, fit is vital. Some sports bras might keep the girls in place but end up suffocating you in the process. Others might fit around your ribs but are too loose on your chest, so just make sure that you’ve got bras with the appropriate fit. Otherwise, you’ll have to go buy some new ones.

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